TIP IN TURKEY: TURKISH MEDIA ATTENTION, Feb 1-10,

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 000902 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR G/TIP, G, INL, DRL, EUR/PGI, EUR/SE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL KCRM PHUM KWMN SMIG KFRD PREF TU TIP IN TURKEY SUBJECT: TIP IN TURKEY: TURKISH MEDIA ATTENTION, Feb 1-10, 2005 ¶1. (U) In response to G/TIP inquiries, national and international media sources published the following news articles about TIP in Turkey. Text of articles originally published in Turkish is provided through unofficial local FSN translation. ¶2. (U) Published Wednesday, February 9 by Milliyet; http://www.milliyet.com.tr/: BEGIN TEXT: Nine foreign prostitutes were deported following a raid on a hotel in Trabzon. Azerbaijan citizen Rahila Isgondorava (25) said that she resigned from her job as a policewoman seven months ago in Azerbaijan and came to Turkey. Izgondorava, who is married with one child, stated, "I could not earn money in my country. I came to Turkey and began prostitution. I had to do this." END TEXT. ¶3. (U) Published Tuesday, February 8 by Sabah; http://www.sabah.com.tr/: TITLE: No Nationality for Disappointment; By Savas Abi Taksim Hospital is close to my house. I stop by from time to time and chat with the employees there. Talking to young physicians and nurses is particularly mind opening and makes you learn many new things. I stopped by again few days ago. And I witnessed a very touching incident. A girl from Moldova. She was motionlessly lying in bed. The story behind the deep sorrow on her face was burning. Listen if you want: A Drama Movie Aurica Pintea, a Moldovan, came to Istanbul a year ago in order to pay her family's $3,000 debt. She started working as an attendant at a leather shop that her cousin knows and quickly came to love Turkey and the Turkish people. However, she had to go back to her country after three months as her visa expired. She could only save 500 dollars. She Was Staying Away From Prostitution After returning to her country, Aurica got a visa again and came back to Istanbul in October 2004. She started working at her old workplace. Aurica, who was loved very much by her friends in Moldova, soon endeared herself to the people at her workplace. She knew how citizens from her country were falling in the trap of prostitution. She was very careful in order to keep her distance from these prostitution gangs. Until she met a man called Ozgur, whose last name she doesn't even know. "Ozgur Darkened My Life" Stating that she met Ozgur in her work environment, Aurica said, "My family was in a very difficult situation in Moldova. Interest was applied to our $3,000 debt every day. I knew women from my country who were pulled in the swamp of prostitution. But I came to Istanbul to earn money with dignity. The work environment was very nice, until Ozgur darkened my life. One day I met him. He was treating me so warmly and affectionately, I loved him very much. I liked such an attention in country that I did not know. He was constantly telling me that he loves me. Naively, I believed him." "He sold me to men" Aurica, who had selected Turkey as a place to earn money, believed a young man named Ozgur. Without knowing his bad intentions, she followed him. Ozgur invited her to Antalya on a three day trip. She said "there was a three day holiday and Ozgur took me to Antalya saying that this will be good for both of us. I saw his real face there. He locked me in a house on the 7th floor of a building. On the first day men I didn't know came to the house. When I asked who they are, he said `I sold you.' I was scared and started crying. Although I screamed a lot, these men raped me. In the following days, the number of men started increasing. He would lock the door and sell me to the men. Everyday I cried and begged him to set me free. But he would not allow this. On the 10th day, when Ozgur and his friends were sleeping, I decided to escape from the 7th floor. I wanted to escape by climbing down from balcony to balcony. At that moment, death did not come to my mind at all. But while trying to escape, I fell from the 6th floor." Fell from the 7th Floor People around came to the aid of the girl who fell from the 7th floor. She was hospitalized and Ozgur and his friends escaped. Her backbone and many other bones were broken. More importantly, a girl who was full of life entered a period of psychological trauma that she will experience for her whole life. She stayed in the hospital in Antalya but had to be transferred to Istanbul for further treatment. Moldova Takes No Responsibility Istanbul Provincial Health Director's office entered the picture and placed her at Taksim First Aid Education and Research Hospital First General Surgery Service. She has no relatives and all of her medical expenses are met by the hospital. Physicians at the First General Surgery Service are trying to take her back to the old days when she was a girl full of life. The Moldovan government is not providing support to her, and her relatives haven't been calling her. Tayfun Yucel, the chief physician of the section, said that they were taking care of the girl on the name of humanity. He said, "she fell from a certain height three months ago. She went under surgery in Antalya and through the chief physician's office of the hospital we started taking care of her. There is numbness in her legs. There are fractures in her pelvic bones. By using our personal contacts we are providing all of the treatment for her. Her medicines are paid for by the Provincial Health Directorate. Now she is our patient and we continue her treatment." "I Will Form a New Life" Aurica Pintea said she would like to go back to Moldova after recovering and continued, "They take really good care of me here. No one from my consulate came and asked me how I am. I had really good environment in Moldova. I do not know whether my life will be the same again. But if I recover, I will go back to Moldova and build a new life. I know that Ozgur escaped after I fell." END TEXT. ¶4. (U) Published Tuesday, February 8 by Vatan; By Hilal Koylu; http://www.vatanim.com.tr/: TITLE: Whispered to the Police and Rescued BEGIN TEXT: Following the selling last week in Denizli's Tavas County of 15 year old A.T. to 54 people in exchange for money, yesterday it emerged that in Cal County, 17 year old runaway H.S. was marketed to men. The jandarma found Ali Ihsan Alacak, Ibrahim Kubur, and H.S. inside a car and took them into custody under suspicion. The jandarma discovered in the investigation that H.S. was sold to men for money. Thirteen people alleged to have had sexual relations with the young girl were taken into custody. Of the people who were transferred to the prosecutor, Ali Ihsan Alacan (27),Ibrahim Kubur (32) and Mesut Tuysuz (29) were arrested. Ten more suspects will be tried without being imprisoned. END TEXT. ¶5. (U) Published Sunday, February 6 by Sabah; http://www.sabah.com.tr/; also appeared in Cumhuriyet: BEGIN TEXT: The Antalya Security Director Foreigners Department captured four members of a prostitution network when a Georgian woman who came to extend her visa whispered to police that she was being kept by force. The woman named E.Z. told the police officer processing her visa affairs in a low voice that "two people are following her and these people are keeping her for prostitution purposes." The police detained two people named A.G. and S.A., who were waiting at the Foreigners Department. The investigation revealed that when E.Z. came with a relative to Kas for vacation, two people kidnapped her and sold her to A.G and S.A for $2,000. The investigation was deepened by the Department of Moralities and M.K. and S.C. were also detained. The defendants were sent to the judiciary on charges of "committing human trafficking," "forced detention," and "beating and forcing for prostitution." Two others are being sought in connection with the case. END TEXT. ¶6. (U) Published Thursday, February 3 by Radikal; http://www.radikal.com.tr/: TITLE: 15-year-old A.T.: "I was sold by force"; By Ramazan Cetin and Huseyin Baybars BEGIN TEXT: 57 people in Denizli's Tavas and Kale towns as well as Kizilcaboluk district who were alleged to have had intercourse with a 15-year-old girl were detained. Nail T., the father of 15-year-old A.T. who lives in Ebecik village of Tavas, applied to the police last Sunday and claimed that his daughter was sold to men. The Tavas prosecutor started an investigation. The police detained A.T.'s cousin S.T. and his friends A.A. (26) and U.O. (23). A.T. stated that three months ago she had sexual relations with suspect U.O., who is living in Ebecik Village. She said "I loved him very much and had intercourse with him. He told this to my cousin and his friends. They started selling me to other men by threatening me." Acting on the testimony of three people who claimed A.T. was being sold, Police started an operation and apprehended 54 people. 14 out of 17 people who were brought before the prosecutor were arrested. The interrogation of others is underway. It is reported that police are continuing operations to apprehend others who had intercourse with A.T. The investigation had a big echo in Tavas, Kale and Kizilcaboluk. It is notable that there are some prominent shop owners among the detainees. The police have been taking statements of people in Tavas and Kale for the last three days. Officials said that the number of detainees may increase. A.T. was taken to both towns and every one of the detainees was shown to her. 40 people under detention will be sent to the judiciary today. END TEXT. ¶7. (U) Published Friday, January 7 by Zaman; http://www.zaman.com.tr/: TITLE: 23 people apprehended in operation against human trafficking BEGIN TEXT: In operations conducted under the coordination of Antalya and Mersin police and the Security Directorate General Smuggling and Organized Crime Department, 23 people who are claimed to force foreign women for prostitution in 15 separate houses were captured. An announcement issued by Antalya police said that the police conducted intelligence works for months and discovered that a crime organization named "Empire of Heaven." This organization deceived foreign women, brought them to Turkey and forced them into prostitution by threatening them with weapons, torturing them, and taking their passports. END TEXT. EDELMAN