CYPRIOT REACTIONS MIXED TO RELEASE OF TIP REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NICOSIA 000450 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR/SE, EUR/ERA, G/TIP E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KCRM PHUM KWMN PREL PGOV CY SMIG KPAO SUBJECT: CYPRIOT REACTIONS MIXED TO RELEASE OF TIP REPORT REF: SECSTATE 58445 ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Reactions to the June 4 release of the 2008 Trafficking in Persons report were mixed in Cyprus, with GOC officials voicing frustration over the Tier 2 Watch List ranking while media and NGOs praised the report for highlighting the severity of the island's TIP problem. Interior and Foreign Ministry officials responsible for combating trafficking called the report "discouraging" and "unnecessarily negative," although they acknowledged its usefulness in fine-tuning anti-TIP tactics and promised to devote additional funds to the fight. Police contacts downplayed allegations of TIP-related corruption in the ranks. Media greeted the report's release with an unprecedented amount of trafficking coverage, due partly to Embassy backgrounders. Refreshingly, their coverage focused solely on the TIP problem and did not demonize the USG for producing the TIP report. Non-governmental organizations voiced satisfaction with the document's accuracy and recommendations. End Summary. -------------- - Mixed GOC Reaction to a Third T2WL Ranking -------------- - ¶2. (SBU) PolOff June 4 delivered reftel points to TIP liaisons Natassa Economou at the Ministry of Interior and Doros Venezis at the MFA. Economou stated that the Tier 2 Watch List ranking for Cyprus was not fair or reflective of the GOC's efforts. She called the evaluation "discouraging" and argued that the government had taken greater steps than other countries with the same ranking. She also revealed that the MoI had included several anti-trafficking projects in its 2009 budget request and that the deputy minister was extremely supportive of them. Economou then acknowledged that the report was helpful and a tool to spur further progress. The GOC would continue to take measures against TIP, not because of the unfavorable ranking but because it was the right thing to do. ¶3. (SBU) Venezis began by criticizing references to the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus - TRNC" in the report and protesting its structure (with separate sections for the Republic of Cyprus and the area administered by Turkish Cypriot authorities). Turning to the contents, he believed the TIP report was negative in tone and wished the positive GOC accomplishments had been highlighted more. In fact, Cyprus had expected to ascend to Tier 2, a point that RoC Ambassador Andreas Kakkouris earlier had made with Department officials. ¶4. (SBU) On June 11, PolOff raised the report with the director of the Cyprus Police's anti-TIP unit, Rita Superman. Superman said it had stated many truths, "and it is time for someone to speak the truth" about the depth of the trafficking problem. She complained, however, that including NGO allegations of police corruption were not fair, since the charges themselves were exaggerated. Regarding the police anti-trafficking campaign, she admitted it had not yielded satisfactory results because traffickers were becoming increasingly wily, making it more difficult to build strong cases against them. -------------- Positive Media and NGO Reaction -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Due in large part to Embassy outreach with the media and civil society and a generally increasing awareness of trafficking in Cyprus, the launch of the TIP report received an unprecedented amount of positive coverage in both the Greek- and Turkish Cypriot communities. Articles appeared in five G/C newspapers and the two largest T/C dailies, with several outlets continuing coverage for several days. Most importantly, their focus shifted, from suspicion of USG motivations for writing the report, to concentrating on the problem itself. Many stories blasted the government for its failure to adequately address trafficking, noting (incorrectly) that Cyprus was the only EU country to fall on the Tier 2 Watch List. Media also criticized the existence of the "artiste" work permit, a tool for the sexual exploitation of trafficked women in Cyprus. As to broadcast coverage, T/C network BRT aired an hour-long interview with anti-trafficking expert and Embassy grantee Mine Yucel. Some inaccuracies in media remain, however, especially in delineating between trafficking and alien smuggling. ¶6. (SBU) NGOs roundly welcomed the report, claiming that NICOSIA 00000450 002 OF 002 coverage of it would raise TIP awareness and thereby help their cause. Androula Christofidou, the anti-trafficking NGO STOP International's representative in Cyprus, told us that her organization's primary goal on the island was the abolition of the artiste visa. Josey Christodoulou, of the Mediterranean Institute for Gender Studies, revealed her NGO intended to issue a press release praising the TIP report and calling on the government to ratchet up its efforts. -------------- Comment -------------- ¶6. (SBU) There is growing awareness of TIP in Cyprus, spurred in part by the Embassy's efforts and those of its partners. We are heartened, for example, that media this year focused on substance of the problem and not on our motivations for producing the report or alleged intention to "punish" the government. The Christofias administration, in office since February, seems committed to improving Cyprus's human rights record across the board, and officials are more comfortable discussing trafficking and criticizing heretofore unsatisfactory efforts to combat it. We intend to capitalize on this attitudinal change in coming months. SCHLICHER