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Viewing cable 06ANKARA999, TIP IN TURKEY: TURKISH MEDIA ATTENTION, February 1-
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| Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 06ANKARA999 | 2006-02-28 15:27 | 2011-08-24 01:00 | UNCLASSIFIED | Embassy Ankara |
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 16 ANKARA 000999
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, February 1-
15, 2006
¶1. 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 Embassy translation.
¶2. Published by Hurriyet on Wednesday, February 1:
TITLE: 17 arrested in "Orkide"
BEGIN TEXT: Seventeen out of 21 people detained in
Operation "Orkide," were formally taken into custody by
the Karasu Regional duty court. Among the suspects are
six Georgians, all charged with forcing prostitution,
aiding and abetting, and having marijuana and a gun.
Three arrested police officers, Y.O. (41), N.G. (34),
and H.T. (50), as well as Jandarma petty officer M.C.,
were set free after giving statements. END TEXT.
¶3. Published by Yeni Safak on Wednesday, February 1:
TITLE: Have you seen my mother campaign started
BEGIN TEXT: The International Organization for
Migration (IOM) has begun a campaign called "Have You
Seen My Mother?" aimed at children born without fathers
due to prostitution. The goal is to make men who agree
to be with these women aware that these women were
brought to Turkey by human traffickers. Officials said
that there are many callers to the human trafficking
hotline who noted, "I do not care about the mothers,
but think of their kids," and that one of every three
women forced into prostitution was a mother. The
organization cast children from the old Soviet Union
whose mothers were forced into prostitution. END TEXT.
¶4. Reported by Reuters on Wednesday, February 1:
TITLE: IOM launches new anti-trafficking campaign
BEGIN TEXT: Ankara, 1 February (IRIN) - The
International Office for Migration (IOM) on Tuesday
launched a new public information campaign in Turkey
aimed at raising awareness of the impact of human
trafficking on children and families.
One out of three women trafficked to Turkey - one of
the major destination points for trafficking women from
Central Asia for sexual exploitation - is a mother with
children, according to the IOM.
The centerpiece of the campaign is a television
advertisement to be broadcast on national channels
throughout the country, which straddles both Europe and
Asia. The advertisement, entitled, "Have You Seen My
Mother?" is focused on four children from the former
Soviet Union in search of mothers trafficked to Turkey.
A nationwide print campaign is also being launched.
"Trafficking takes an enormous toll, not just on the
women and girls who have been trafficked to Turkey, but
on the children and families they are forced to leave
behind," Marielle Sander Lindstrom, head of the IOM
mission in Turkey, said in a statement. "Families and
communities are paying an enormous price."
The launch of the campaign coincided with the release
of a new report on major trafficking trends in Turkey.
Among the key findings of the report, entitled "2005:
Turkey, Trafficking and Trends," are that more than one-
third of women trafficked to Turkey are mothers with
children and that illegal profits from trafficking top
more than US $1 billion annually.
According to the report, some 470 individuals were
identified as trafficked to Turkey in 2005. Of the 220
victims assisted by the IOM for repatriation, 17
percent were from Central Asia, including Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
But this number is believed to be just a tip of the
iceberg, or as little as 10 percent of the total.
Experts note that Central Asia is a growing region of
origin for human trafficking. "There is trafficking of
women, mainly to the Gulf States, but also to South
Korea, Turkey, Greece, Western Europe, and countries in
Southeast Asia, such as Thailand and Malaysia. The
main country of origin at this stage is Uzbekistan.
This is [not surprising] as it has the largest
population, followed by Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, and
then Kazakhstan," Katerina Badilova, IOM trafficking
officer in Almaty, told IRIN earlier.
However, estimating numbers of those trafficked out of
Central Asia is extremely difficult as no reliable
statistics exist. Some observers say that every year
up to 10,000 people, mainly young women destined for
the sex trade, are taken from the region against their
will or under false pretenses. Research on human
trafficking is also thin on the ground, making
assessments of the extent of the problem difficult.
Every year, more than 4 million people globally become
victims of human trafficking in what has become a
business generating between $8 billion and $10 billion
to criminal syndicates.
The IOM's new anti-trafficking campaign, coordinated by
the Turkish government, includes increased public
awareness activities, stepped up training for law
enforcement and medical, psychological and direct
assistance to trafficked individuals.
The US government is funding the project to the tune of
$600,000 with $100,000 worth of co-funding from the
Turkish government. The Italian and Swedish
governments also provide major support for IOM counter-
trafficking programs. END TEXT.
¶5. Published by Radikal on Wednesday, February 1:
TITLE: Money involved in the slave market
BEGIN TEXT: Those who say that they spent the night
with a Russian girl actually are participating in a
market that earns $3.6 billion annually.
Most of the foreign women who are marketed in Turkey
are earning $765,000 annually for their pimps, who are
of the same citizenry.
These women are forced into sex with 15-20 people a
day. Thirty-six percent of them carry venereal disease
and eight percent suffer from brain damage. Forty
percent of these women are mothers.
According to the IOM's 2005 "Turkey: Human Trafficking
Trade and Trends" report, $3.6 billion in illegal money
is earned annually in Turkey from human trafficking.
The centers for this trade are Istanbul and Antalya.
According to the IOM report, which was published
yesterday, the IOM identified 243 victims in Turkey and
226 women who were already sent back to their
countries. It went on that 31 percent of these women
were from Ukraine, 29 percent from Moldova, 13 percent
from Russia, eight percent from Kyrgyzstan, five
percent from Romania and five percent from Uzbekistan.
The towns which are centers for human trafficking and
where the victims were found were: Istanbul (33
percent); Antalya (25 percent), Ankara (16 percent) and
Mersin (5 percent).
Women who become victims of human trafficking are
forced to have sex with 15-20 men a day. They earn
$2,250 a day and $765,000 annually for their pimps.
In Turkey 469 victims were identified in 2005 and the
money earned from them was $360 million. The total
number of victims is expected to be ten times higher
than this. With this estimate, one predicts that
around $3.6 billion is earned from human trafficking.
Victims are lured in four percent of the cases by
citizens of the same country. Nine percent of the
illegal trade is conducted by Turkey, the rest by the
Russians.
Forty percent of the victims are mothers and they are
under social and economic pressure to take care of
their children. Most of the women (55 percent) who are
brought to Turkey are between 18-24 years of age, and
24 percent are between 25 and 30, while three percent
are between 14 and 17.
From January to June 2005, seven traffickers were
convicted and sent to prison in Turkey, but authorities
did not disclose anything about the actual imprisonment
term.
Seven percent of the victims are university graduates,
28 percent high school graduates, and 50 percent middle
school graduates.
One-third of the victims face the danger of never being
a mother again since their reproductive organs are
badly damaged and 36 percent has a venereal disease.
Eight percent had brain damage.
IOM Mission Chief Marielle Sander-Lindstrom said that
victims of human trafficking definitely were not
prostitutes. She noted that these women were forced
into the sex trade against their own will and termed
them as modern age slaves.
She pointed to the percentage of those victims who were
mothers and said, "These women are under greater risk
because they have to earn money to look after their
children. Human trafficking has two dimensions. It
first affects women who are victims and their
children."
The IOM, along with the MFA, yesterday inaugurated a
campaign called "Have You Seen My Mother?" in order to
promote the 157 hotline. The public will be informed
on the issue in order to reach the women who are
victims of human trafficking. END TEXT.
¶6. Published by Hurriyet on Wednesday, February 1:
TITLE: Women who come to practice prostitution are
educated
BEGIN TEXT: There were interesting points brought up
in the report on prostitution and human trafficking by
the International Office for Migration. The most
important one is that these women are educated.
It was determined that seven percent of the women who
were duped into coming to Turkey and then forced into
prostitution are university graduates, 28 percent high
school graduates, and 50 percent middle school
graduates.
Other interesting points include:
Thirty-one percent of the women who have fallen into
the human traffickers trap are Ukrainian citizens. The
countries of Moldova (29 percent), Russia (13 percent),
the Kyrgyz Republic (8 percent), Romania (5 percent)
and Uzbekistan (5 percent) follow.
Most of the women (33 percent) are worked in Istanbul.
Other cities include Antalya (25 percent), Ankara (16
percent) and Mersin (5 percent).
Seventy-four percent of the victims were trapped in the
prostitution trap by their fellow citizens. Nine
percent of the traffickers are Turkish and the
remainder Russian.
Fifty-five percent of the women brought to Turkey are
between 18-24 years of age, 24 percent from 25-30 and
three percent from 14-17.
Thirty-six percent of the women have venereal diseases,
while 8 percent have damage to the brain.
Prostitution turns over 3.6 billion dollars.
Marielle Sander-Lindstrom, Chief of Mission of IOM
Turkey, said that the earnings of trafficked women in
Turkey are 3.6 billion dollars.
In the organization's report, "2005 Turkey, Trafficking
and Trends," last year 469 foreign women were trapped
into trafficking rings, but estimates were that the
real number was ten times that amount. According to
Lindstrom, 226 women were sent back to their home
countries. It was noted that one in three trafficked
women is a mother. END TEXT.
¶7. Reported by Sabah on Friday, February 3:
TITLE: Prostitution gangs like technology
BEGIN TEXT: Due to the foreign prostitutes who have
taken over Istanbul's Aksaray, Laleli, Yenikapi and
Beyoglu regions, Turkish prostitutes have recently gone
to cooperative apartment housing. According to the
Security Directorate, prostitution rings prefer high-
rise buildings in Atakoy, Atasehir, Halkali and
Basaksehir.
Living in these high-rises ensures that the rings can
do their work and not be known by neighbors. And the
prostitution rings use the latest technology. By
positioning security cameras at entrances and on the
street, the prostitute can see when there is a raid and
is able to escape to another secret apartment in the
building and all proof is gone.
Favorite Bahcelievler
In 2005 the Vice Squad teams uncovered 44 brothels in
Istanbul. As a result of the raids, 158 Turkish
prostitutes were caught. According to information
given, the Bahcelievler neighborhood in Istanbul was an
area heavy (in prostitution). Seven brothels were
discovered in Bahcelievler and 32 prostitutes caught.
END TEXT.
¶8. Published by the Turkish Daily news on Saturday,
February 4 and written by Gila Benmayor:
TITLE: If only we can free ourselves from this
"Natasha" obsession.
BEGIN TEXT: Marielle Sander-Lindstrom is the Ankara
representative of the International Organization for
Migration (IOM).
The IOM was founded after World War II to help millions
of people displaced as a result of the war. The
organization's Ankara office was founded in 1991 after
the first Gulf War. Since then, they have helped
refugees from Iraq and Iran, coordinated aid to
Afghanistan and helped millions of people. In our
meeting with Marielle Sander-Lindstrom in Istanbul, she
told me about a new project the organization has
initiated with the help of the governments of the
United States and Sweden.
The project is on "human trafficking."
Sander-Lindstrom, who worked at the organization's
Moldova office, knows very well how human traffickers
victimize Moldovan, Ukrainian and Belarusian women who
want to earn money.
"The only option for a Moldovan woman living in rural
regions, who has to earn money for her family, is to go
overseas," she said. "She usually gets a passport
through a friend of a friend and arrives in Turkey."
Unfortunately, Turkey, where the women come to work, is
far from heaven, because the person who arranged for
her to come to Turkey is usually a member of a human
trafficking gang.
Consequently, as soon as she arrives in Turkey, her
passport is taken away and she is forced to become a
sex slave.
According to the statistics possessed by Sander-
Lindstrom, women who undertook this voyage after
putting trust in a friend's advice constitute 86
percent of the victims.
So, how can these women be saved from the clutches of
human traffickers?
Turkey initiated a project last May that could set an
example for the whole of Europe.
It set up a "157 Hotline" that can be called free of
charge by women in these situations, so that they can
be saved.
Sander-Lindstrom noted an interesting fact about the
calls made to the hotline.
Seventy-five percent of those who call the hotline are
men who want to save the woman with whom they have had
sexual relations.
In other words, Turkish men are compassionate.
They cannot accept a woman becoming a victim of human
traffickers.
Documents on the "157 Hotline" are given to women
entering Turkey from certain countries at border gates
and airports.
Another campaign that has been initiated involves the
children left behind by these victimized women, as one-
third of the women who become victims are also mothers.
There are hundreds of children waiting to hear from
their mothers back in their home villages in Moldova,
Ukraine and Belarus.
IOM teams went to these villages to interview the
children.
In a clip shown by Sander-Lindstrom, some of the
children said, "I want my mother back." They said it in
Turkish and I have to say that it was very effective.
I cannot understand how certain papers still refer to
these women as "Natasha," at a time when such a tragedy
is so obviously taking place. END TEXT.
¶9. Published by the Turkish Daily News on Sunday, February
5:
TITLE: Turkey on offensive against trafficking
BEGIN TEXT: The Turkish government is accelerating
efforts to change the widespread public perception on
predominantly female victims of trafficking through a
campaign launched in coordination with the Geneva-based
International Office for Migration (IOM).
At the heart of the campaign lies the striking fact
that one out of three women trafficked to Turkey are
mothers with children.
"We think it is extremely important to articulate
that," Allan Freedman, who coordinates counter-
trafficking programs for the IOM Turkey office, told
the Turkish Daily News.
"It is important because we know based on our own
research and experience while working in Turkey that
people often think that this is just about the
individual. It is not. Trafficking takes place in a
much broader and important context," he added. END
TEXT.
¶10. Also published by the Turkish Daily News on Sunday,
February 5:
TITLE: Profits from trafficking soar
BEGIN TEXT: Turkey is rapidly becoming one of the
largest markets in the trafficking of women from the
nearby former Soviet bloc who have been forced into
prostitution, said a report released by the
International Organization (sic) for Migration (IOM) at
the same time when a campaign was launched last week.
Profits from the illicit sex trade in Turkey are
estimated to be about $3.6 billion last year, according
to the report.
About 5,000 women are believed to be working as sex
slaves across Turkey. The prostitution networks get
about $150 per customer; each woman serves as many as
15 clients a day, said Marielle Sander-Lindstrom, chief
of the IOM's Turkey office, during a news conference on
Tuesday. "Women have no freedom of movement, no money
for themselves."
"If they work 340 days a year, it is a multibillion-
dollar business just in Turkey alone," she added.
"That explains why the government is fighting against
human trafficking."
Women are at greater risk for trafficking because
poverty and social conditions in their home countries
compel them to look for jobs abroad.
Social factors including alcoholism among spouses and
family members, violence in the home and even sexual
abuse have contributed to vulnerability and increased
pressure on women, according to the IOM report.
More than half of the women who have been trafficked to
Turkey come from Moldova and Ukraine, which have
suffered severe economic downturns in the last decade.
Economic growth in these key source countries is on the
upswing, but their economies are only now emerging from
the regional economic collapse and the divide between
the rich and the poor persists with sizable populations
living below the poverty line and earning less than $2
per day.
Turkey is a top destination for trafficking because it
is the most prosperous country when compared to other
countries along the Black Sea coast and is a nation
with good paying jobs. Around a third of the
trafficked women in Turkey live in Istanbul, the
country's commercial hub. About a quarter live in the
Mediterranean resort of Antalya, underlining a close
connection between trafficking and tourism.
In comments on the tremendous amount of money that has
been made illegally in Turkey from human trafficking,
Allan Freedman, project coordinator of the IOM Ankara
office, said they did not know where that money is
going.
"But it is likely going into other illegal activities.
It is total speculation on my part because we do not
know actually where that money is going. People say
drugs, people say terrorism and weapons. It could be
anything, but I want to stress that I do not know where
that money is going, but we feel fairly confident that
it is going into other illegal activities that are
probably creating a destabilizing influence in the
region and also possibly in Turkey," he added.
The findings show that many more challenges are to come
and that Turkey will continue to play a critical role
in the international campaign to combat the crime of
human trafficking.
"We want to become a model country in counter-
trafficking efforts," said Derya Kanbay from the
Turkish Foreign Ministry on Tuesday.
Kanbay said it was not possible for a single
institution to fight against human trafficking and
highlighted the significance of international
cooperation, hoping that the efforts and cooperation
against that crime would continue. END TEXT.
¶11. And also published by the Turkish Daily News on Sunday,
February 5:
TITLE: "Have you seen my mother?" ask Moldovan kids to
Turks
BEGIN TEXT: A commercial, featuring children asking,
in broken Turkish, "Have you seen my mother?" started
airing on Turkish television as of last week to
underline the fact that an estimated one in three
trafficked women in Turkey are mothers and also point
out the human dimension of their plight.
The television advertisement constitutes the
centerpiece of a public awareness campaign on human
trafficking in Turkey, launched by the Turkish
government in cooperation with the International
Organization for Migration (IOM). The ad has been
designed to tap into Turks' adulation of children and
the value they give to family.
The commercial is focused on four children - aged
between four and 14 - from the former Soviet Union in
search of their mothers who have been trafficked to
Turkey. The children were left behind in a village in
Moldova and are waiting for their mothers to return.
"She promised she would come back, but I do not know
where she is," one boy says in Turkish with a Slavic
accent.
"I need my mother," says a small girl.
Authorities hope that the campaign will prompt more
people, especially the women's clients, to inform
authorities and help rescue the women.
Most of the women identified last year as victims of
human trafficking were between the ages of 18 and 24.
One-third were mothers, and many were either divorced
or married to abusive spouses. They were brought here
with the promises of jobs as waitresses or dancers that
would help them support their children. They then have
their passports confiscated and are kept as virtual
prisoners.
"This project is a fantastic initiative to create an
alliance against human trafficking," Marielle Sander-
Lindstrom, chief of the IOM's Turkey office, told a
press conference last week.
"Family and children are important. Turkey attaches
importance to this issue. I am happy to be working
here," she added.
Explaining the philosophy of the campaign and the new
television commercial, Allan Freedman, who coordinates
counter-trafficking programs for the Turkey office of
IOM, said the goal of the campaign was to create
dialogue and conversation within Turkey about what
trafficking is about.
"The major goal of this campaign is that we want to
create dialogue and conversation within Turkey about
what trafficking is. The other goal is the fact that
this is about families, children and individuals, so it
is much bigger than just a single person," he said.
The commercial that supports the campaign has media
sponsors including Turkish broadcaster Kanal D, Star
TV, film distributor FIDA FILM and the cinema company
Sinefekt. Other official campaign sponsors include the
airports in Istanbul, Trabzon, and Antalya, along with
Ankara, Antalya, Izmir and Trabzon municipalities.
"It has been approved that the commercial will be on 26
channels in Turkey, so we are hoping to have a wide
promotion of the campaign from print and television
standpoint," he added. END TEXT.
¶12. Published by the Turkish Daily news on Sunday, February
5:
TITLE: Turkey builds up strategy to fight trafficking
BEGIN TEXT: Through a nationwide public information
campaign launched last week in order to raise awareness
of human trafficking in Turkey, the government is
stepping up efforts to change the public perceptions of
the predominantly female victims of human trafficking,
a basic element in the fight against this "modern day
slavery."
Turkey launched the awareness campaign on Tuesday in
cooperation with a UN-affiliated agency, the Geneva-
based International Office for Migration (IOM), hoping
that more people will tip off authorities and help save
people from forced prostitution or labor.
The campaign focuses on the humanitarian dimension of
human trafficking, that is to say, its impact on
communities, families and particularly on the children
of victims of human trafficking.
"Human trafficking is an international crime that
destroys not only the individuals, but also families,
communities and children," said Marielle Sander-
Lindstrom, chief of the IOM's Turkey office, at a press
conference during the promotion of the campaign and the
Foreign Ministry.
Some 469 individuals were identified as victims of
human trafficking in Turkey in 2005, but this number is
believed to be just a fraction of the overall number of
women trafficked, estimated to be as little as 10
percent of the overall caseload, according to a report
released by the IOM last week as part of the campaign.
At the heart of the campaign lies the striking fact
that one out of three women trafficked to Turkey are
mothers with children.
"We think it is extremely important to articulate that.
It is important because we know based on our own
research and experience while working in Turkey that
people often think this is just about the individual.
It is not. Trafficking takes place in a much broader
and important context. . . the context of families, the
context of communities," Allan Freedman, who
coordinates counter-trafficking programs for IOM Turkey
office, told the Turkish Daily news.
There is a pretty common perception about trafficked
women that mixes victims of human trafficking with
willing prostitutes. Due to this confusion,
traffickers are usually tried under criminal articles
regulating prostitution and the trafficked women are
deported instead of being provided with assistance and
rehabilitation.
The existing misperception also hampers efforts in the
fight against human trafficking, but the perception on
this issue in Turkey, especially on the part of law
enforcement authorities, has been rapidly changing over
the past few years, mostly due to training provided to
police and gendarmerie officials about facts and
characteristics of human trafficking and how
trafficking cases should be handled.
IOM's efforts, which are closely coordinated with the
Turkish government, are bearing fruit. Turkey has come
a long way in a short period of time and made great
strides to combat this crime, raising public awareness
and introducing legal provisions to punish traffickers.
"I think in Turkey there is always more work to be done
on this issue, but at this point I think there is an
increasing understanding of recognition on the part of
law enforcement officials," Freedman said.
"Police and gendarmerie, particularly the gendarmerie,
have a better and better understanding on what this is.
We find when it was a year ago we had to do more
explaining. This year I think there is a broader
recognition of what this problem is about," he said
when asked whether law enforcement authorities were
aware of the difference between a prostitute and a
victim of human trafficking.
Turkey is a destination country for women and girls
trafficked to Turkey with the promise of jobs, but then
are forced into prostitution. The vast majority of
them come from the former Soviet Union, with 60 percent
of all cases from two countries, Moldova and Ukraine,
the IOM report says.
Women from the former Soviet bloc have long been viewed
as willing workers in the prostitution industry in
Turkey and all of them were stigmatized as "Natashas"
in the eyes of the Turkish public, who has paid little
attention to the difference between willing labor and
trafficked persons forced into prostitution through ill-
treatment and even torture.
The IOM and the Turkish government have been working in
cooperation since November 2004, when Turkey joined the
organization, to raise public awareness with a view to
giving the public an accurate picture of the reality,
which authorities think would be an asset in counter-
trafficking efforts.
A $700,000 project coordinated by the Turkish
government, sponsored by the U.S. government and
implemented by the IOM, is the first major counter-
trafficking program in Turkey. The latest awareness
campaign is part of that broader project, whose key
accomplishments include changing social misperceptions,
rescuing a number of victims of human trafficking
through a 24-hour hotline and opening of two shelters
for trafficked women in Istanbul and Ankara.
"A prostitute does provide sex to a man and gets money
for that. There is an element of choice. She is not
coerced; she is not forced. Trafficking is just the
opposite. Women are transported, most often across
international borders, brought to Turkey and forced to
work and provide sex to men. They can also be forced
to provide labor. That is the issue," Freedman said in
an explanation on the difference between a prostitute
and a victim of human trafficking.
"Someone who is trafficked is enslaved. They are doing
something against their will. They are being forced by
another individual to perform an act, whether it is sex
or whether it is removal of their organs, for example.
They are doing something against their own free will."
"The police and gendarmerie are identifying more and
more victims of trafficking in Turkey. That is a very
positive outcome because it means the more victims of
trafficking we identify, then the more people get into
the system, the more people we can rehabilitate and the
more people that have a chance for recovery. That is a
very positive and tangible commitment on the part of
the Turkish government," Freedman said.
Authorities are also proud of the success of the 24-
hour hotline, staffed by mostly Russian-speaking
operators, in the rescue of victims of human
trafficking. Most of the calls made have come from
clients of the women who wanted to help them, which,
IOM officials say, is another sign of increasing
perception on women lured by traffickers to Turkey.
In 2005, some 52 trafficked individuals were rescued
through the 157 helpline for rescue and assistance.
Just one quarter of all rescue requests came from
victims of human trafficking. Clients and friends are
playing a pivotal role in rescue and assistance of
trafficked persons, according to the IOM report.
"Seventy-four percent of the calls that we get to the
hotline have come from actual clients and friends of
the victims of human trafficking," Freedman said. "Not
only the clients arrange rescue for the victims, but
also the women themselves are doing a tremendous job in
calling us."
Asked whether the hotline would be working when the
project, due to be finished in mid-2006, was over, he
said, "The helpline is funded by two sources right now.
It is funded by the U.S. government and also by the
Swedish Independent Development Agency (SIDA). We are
looking for additional support and we are trying to
mobilize additional resources to keep it going. I am
quite confident that we will get support as it has been
successful." END TEXT.
¶13. The following is a summary of a full page report by
Gila Benmayor in Hurriyet on Sunday, February 5:
TITLE: Those who call the 157 hotline are mostly
Turkish men who want to save the woman they were with.
BEGIN TEXT: Gila Benmayor interviewed IOM's Chief of
Mission, Marielle Sander-Lindstrom, who said that 75
percent of the callers to the 157 hotline were Turkish
men who had earlier been with the foreign woman and
wanted to save her from human traffickers. To prevent
this, the pimps reportedly do not allow men to be with
a foreign woman with his cell phone on.
Benmayor wrote that Sander-Lindstrom has been working
in Turkey since 2004, and she has two responsibilities:
1) to support Turkey in harmonizing its laws with
European immigration legislation; and 2) to introduce
programs to fight against human trafficking.
She explained the difference between human smuggling
and trafficking.
She referred to the IOM report on human trafficking
trends in 2005 in Turkey and stressed that one of every
three women who were victims of trafficking was a
mother. In other words, their goal was to create a
better future for their kids.
Sander-Lindstrom said that compared to countries in the
north, Turkey is economically better off and thus
women, particularly from the former Soviet Union,
become victims of human trafficking.
She lived in Moldova for many years before arriving in
Turkey. She said that the poverty rate in Moldova was
64 percent. Like in other former Soviet republics,
women are responsible for bringing money to the family.
Men, if they are around, are usually unemployed and
alcoholic. Many women in Moldovan villages dream about
coming to Turkey to work. When she finds someone to
send her here, she has to turn over her passport, and
when she arrives in Turkey she realizes that she was
deceived. According to the IOM report, 86 percent of
those who fell into traffickers' traps were deceived
with similar tactics.
Sander-Lindstrom noted that human traffickers spend
around $500-600 per woman. When they force a woman
into prostitution, human traffickers earn $150 for each
client she has. Each woman averages about 15 men a
day, making $2,250. If she works 340 days a year, this
means $765,000 a year. In short, for every $500 one
invests, he gets back $765,000.
The IOM determined that 469 women fell into the web of
human traffickers. Sander-Lindstrom calculated that
human traffickers could earn $3.6 million from these
469 women. She guesses that the actual figure is
tenfold higher.
Most of the women are between the ages of 18-24; some
are over 30 years of age. Even if they are saved,
these women cannot tell their families what happened to
them since they are from conservative families. If
they do, they would be expelled from the family. Since
they cannot warn others, human traffickers continue to
trick women.
The IOM opened a 157 hotline. Benmayor talked about
the posters, TV ads and booklets. END TEXT.
¶14. Published by Hurriyet on Monday, February 6:
TITLE: Vatican: Might be the Prostitution Mafia
BEGIN TEXT: The Vatican Representative in Istanbul,
Monsignor Georges Marovic, said that the murder of
Priest Andrea Sentore might have been by the
prostitution mafia. Monsignor Marovic, who is in
charge of two churches in the Black Sea region, said,
"Our priest was in Trabzon and he was trying to save
very poor women who came from Moldova or old Russian
countries and who fell into the mire of prostitution.
He was trying to save them. The prostitution mafia may
have murdered him."
The Italian media gave prime coverage to the murder of
Priest Sentore. It was reported that the murder might
have been because of the crisis over the cartoons and
the reaction of the 16-year-old (suspect). The
national Italian news agency ANSA, said that the
Sentore murder was probably a result of the cartoon
crisis.
Cicek: We condemn (this). Minister of Justice and
Government Spokesman, Cemil Cicek, in strongly
condemning the murder said, "Whatever the reason may be
and for what purpose, we cannot view it as reasonable
or lawful." Minister of Interior Abdulkadir Aksu said
that there was no excuse and violence would not be
tolerated, and the matter would be investigated from
every direction. END TEXT.
¶15. Reported by Hurriyet on Wednesday, February 8:
TITLE: Prostitution with fake identification
BEGIN TEXT: In a joint raid on a house on Turkeli
Avenue in the Eminonu neighborhood by the Istanbul
Security Directorate's Office of Public Order and the
Foreigners' Section, Moldovan V.C., Kyrgyz citizens
D.A., G.K., D.C. and I.M., alleged to have practiced
prostitution, and Mustafa A., who allegedly forced the
women into prostitution, were taken into custody. An
unlicensed gun was found in the house. D.C., I.M and
V.C. had become Turkish citizens through marriage.
D.A. and G.K. had fake residence permits. The foreign
women were sent to Zuhrevi Hospital and Mustafa A. was
charged with trafficking and arrested. END TEXT.
¶16. Published by Milliyet on Thursday, February 9:
TITLE: Protocol with Moldova on Human Trafficking
BEGIN TEXT: A protocol was signed to prevent Moldovan
women from being trapped in the web of human
trafficking in Turkey. The statement was made
following a meeting between Moldovan Foreign Minister
Andrei Stratan and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul. The
European Union wants Turkey to support the
relationship. Stratan said, "Turkey has gained a lot
of experience with their relationship with the EU.
Turkey, especially, has a lot of experience in
political dialogue. You (Turkey) have realized many
important reforms. Moldova will benefit from Turkey's
integration and experience with the EU." END TEXT.
¶17. Published by the Turkish Weekly and the New Anatolian
on Thursday, February 9:
TITLE: Turkey and Moldova join forces to boost
relations, fight human trafficking
BEGIN TEXT: Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul and
his Moldovan counterpart, Andrei Stratan, agreed to
further develop bilateral relations and find new
strategies to fight human trafficking.
Touching on the cartoon crisis, Gul stressed the
necessity of freedom of the press in society, but said
that it should never infringe on religious beliefs.
Meeting Wednesday with his visiting Moldovan
counterpart, Andrei Stratan, Foreign Minister Abdullah
Gul and his guest agreed to further develop relations
and find new strategies to fight human trafficking.
Gul praised the bilateral relations between Turkey and
Moldova as "unproblematic," and added that there are
great opportunities to boost them.
The two foreign ministers also signed an agreement
enabling them to exchange land to build embassies and
to fight human trafficking.
Gul hailed the two documents that were signed yesterday
as proof of existing political will and willingness of
the two parties to improve relations.
Gul expressed Turkey's support for the rapprochement
between Moldova, the EU and NATO, underlining that
Turkey also encouraged Moldova to take advantage of the
Partnership for Peace (PfP) and similar mechanisms
within NATO.
The Turkish foreign minister also stressed the
importance attached by Turkey to cooperation with
Moldova, particularly within the Black Sea Economic
Cooperation (BSEC).
He also thanked Stratan for Moldova's support of
Turkey's candidacy for a temporary seat on the United
Nations Security Council for the 2009-2010 period.
Visiting Moldovan Foreign Minister Stratan, for his
part, touched on the Cyprus problem during the joint
press conference and said, "I believe that a solution
will eventually be reached and that a settlement on
Cyprus will be in the best interests of the region and
the EU."
Stratan stated that they are seeking ways to develop
economic relations with Turkey and invited Turkish
businessmen to visit Moldova in order to enhance
bilateral commercial relations. END TEXT.
¶18. Published by the Turkish Daily News on Thursday,
February 9:
TITLE: Moldova looks for Turkish support on EU
integration
BEGIN TEXT: Turkey, a candidate to join the EU, has
pledged to support Moldova's aspirations to integrate
with the 25-nation bloc, the former Soviet republic's
visiting foreign minister said on Wednesday.
"Turkey has acquired tremendous experience in its
relations with the EU, especially regarding an
effective political dialogue, since it declared its
will to become a full member," Moldovan Foreign
Minister Andrei Stratan was quoted as saying after
talks with his Turkish counterpart, Abdullah Gul, in
Ankara. "Turkey's achievements in this direction are
well known by other countries."
Turkey, which has already completed pre-talks screening
on some of the 35 negotiating chapters, anticipates the
opening of actual accession talks with the EU soon.
The talks are not expected to be completed before at
least a decade.
Foreign Minister Gul said Moldova has been striving for
closer ties with NATO and the EU over the past years,
an endeavor which, he said, Turkey closely followed and
supported. Gul added that Turkey was encouraging
Moldova to benefit from NATO's Partnership for Peace
(PfP) program.
The Moldovan side also expressed support for Turkey's
bid to win a seat at the 15-member UN Security Council
later this decade.
Fight against human trafficking:
Stratan, who was also received by Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday, discussed bilateral and
regional cooperation with Turkish government officials.
The two countries signed a protocol to exchange land
and buildings for diplomatic missions and to cooperate
in the fight against human trafficking.
Turkey, a transit and destination country for victims
of human trafficking from the former Soviet Union, has
introduced legislation and public awareness campaigns
to fight the trafficking of individuals, primarily
women, for sexual exploitation.
The second largest number of victims of human
trafficking comes from Moldova, with the Ukraine coming
highest on the list. END TEXT.
¶19. Reported by the Gulf Times on Thursday, February 9:
TITLE: European ministers eye-to-eye on crime
BEGIN TEXT: Loutraki, Greece: The Justice and
Interior ministers of southeastern European countries
agreed to strengthen trans-border cooperation on
combating organized crime, human trafficking and
terrorism yesterday after a two-day meeting at a resort
near Athens.
Government ministers from Greece, Albania, Bulgaria,
Croatia, Moldova, the former Yugoslav republic of
Macedonia, Romania, Serbia-Montenegro and Bosnia-
Herzegovina - all part of the EU's Stability Pact for
Southeastern Europe - and Turkey agreed to enhance
their cooperation with the European Law Enforcement
Organization (Europol).
They also plan to adapt their countries' laws in
accordance with European Union and Council of Europe
norms.
The ministers, meeting at Loutraki, 80 km southwest of
Athens, also agreed to promote the establishment of
working groups between prosecutors specialized in
organized crime and police officers investigating such
cases, both at national levels and among southeastern
European countries.
Officials also agreed to strengthen the training of
specialized police units dealing with organized crime
and cooperating with European Union's specialized
institutions in fighting corruption and organized
crime. "Transnational crime does not respect any
borders, and, therefore, cross-border regional
cooperation at all levels is necessary to combat it
effectively," said Erhard Busek, special coordinator of
the Stability Pact for Southeastern Europe.
In recent years, the countries of southeastern Europe
have been faced with increasing problems associated
with cross-border organized crime, drug and human
trafficking, and the smuggling of nuclear material and
weapons of mass destruction.
Trafficking has changed nature in recent years and is
increasingly manifested by a lack of physical violence
and coercion and frequently extends to labor market
exploitation.
"The problem is that while the interior ministers of
each nation represented here believe that the world
ends at their borders - criminals have no border," said
Busek.
"To be effective, there must be cross-border
cooperation in the investigation and prosecution of
trafficking and criminal cases," he added.
Turkish Justice Minister Cemil Cicek said that much of
the problem could be solved by establishing an
efficient extradition system between the countries of
southeastern Europe and by recognizing abuses in the
asylum program.
"There have been many cases where criminals claim they
are asylum seekers and the countries where they are
seeking asylum know this, but they chose to turn a
blind eye. This must change - there must be more
cooperation," said Cicek.
According to Cicek, trans-border cooperation could also
help the fight against terrorism. "What we have been
finding is that terrorist organizations are also the
operators of organized crime because this is one way to
finance their activities," he said.
The European Commission, Europol, the Black Sea
Economic Cooperation (BSEC), and the Southeast European
Cooperative Initiative (SECI) Regional Center for
Combating Trans-border Crime also participated at the
two-day summit. END TEXT.
¶20. Published by Hurriyet on Friday, February 10:
TITLE: Mothers are the victims of human traffickers
BEGIN TEXT: It was reported that one out of every
three victims of trafficking in Turkey is a mother.
Selin Arslan, Spokesman for the International
Organization for Migration (IOM) said that victims of
trafficking have usually been threatened with death and
are forced into either being sold to men for sexual
purposes or forced into some type of labor. Arslan, in
saying that one of every three victims of trafficking
in Turkey is a mother, said, "Women, in order to feed,
clothe and educate their children, are targets of human
traffickers who give them false jobs and make them into
sexual slaves." END TEXT.
¶21. Published by Milliyet on Saturday, February 11:
TITLE: "Bring back my mother who is in Turkey." The
International Organization for Migration selected this
slogan for their new campaign to bring attention to the
victims of women traffickers in Turkey.
BEGIN TEXT: According to the International
Organization for Migration (IOM), every year 5,000
women are forced into prostitution in Turkey, and to
bring the matter in front of the world has started a
series of campaigns. IOM, which claims that 60 percent
of these women are from Ukraine and Moldova, two-thirds
of them are between the ages of 18 and 24 and are
mothers, announced that the campaign is entitled,
"Please bring my mother, who is in Turkey, back."
They reached 469 women.
Marielle Sander-Lindstrom, Chief of Mission of IOM
Turkey, said, "The number of women forced into
prostitution in Turkey is alarming." Lindstrom said
that the women from Eastern Europe who fall into the
hands of the mafia as they try to find work in Turkey
are mostly mothers who have left their children in
their home countries.
Lindstrom reported that in 2005, 469 women in Turkey
were rescued from the hands of traffickers and returned
to their families, and that every year nearly 5,000
women are forced into prostitution.
"Call and let us save you"
Moldovan Foreign Minister Andrei Stratan stated that
his country was fighting against the mafia that are
duping women into coming to Turkey and then forcing
them into prostitution. Stratan, through the Milliyet
newspaper, encouraged his citizens who have become sex
slaves to, "call and let us save you." Stratan,
speaking to Moldovan women who had fallen into the
hands of the prostitution mafia due to economic
conditions said, "Turkey and Moldova are ready to help
you. All you have to do is to contact the diplomatic
representatives in Turkey." END TEXT.
¶22. Published by Vatan on Saturday, February 11:
TITLE: Have you seen my mother?
BEGIN TEXT: The report of the IOM one more time
demonstrated that there was a dangerous increase in the
number of women slaves who were forced into
prostitution. According to this report, each year
5,000 women were forced into prostitution. Sixty
percent of them are Ukrainian and Moldovan. Two-thirds
are between 18-24 years of age and they are mothers.
When the IOM determined this sad fact, it inaugurated a
campaign entitled, "Have You Seen My Mother?" The aim
of the campaign is to save women who arrive in Turkey
to build a future for their kids from the hands of the
Mafia. For the campaign, a short film was shot with UN
support. The film, which will be air on TVs and in
movie theatres, is focusing attention on the plight of
the mother and child. Four Moldovan children, whose
mothers were kidnapped in Turkey, played in the film.
They ask, "Have you seen my mother?"
IOM Chief Marielle Sander-Lindstrom said that they
determined 469 women were victims of human trafficking
in Turkey in 2005. She noted that the actual figure
should be ten times higher since these were only the
victims they could identify. Lindstrom, who spoke to
the Italian Novosti Agency, noted that the percentage
of women slaves who were forced into sex was worrisome.
Authorities noted that victims were saved mostly by
their clients. Women who try to run away from the
prostitution mafia are being threatened. Last year a
girl who was born in 1974 in Belarus fell and died as
she tried to flee from the bathroom window in Istanbul.
Another 19-year-old woman slave jumped off the balcony
and remained paralyzed.
Ninety-four percent of women who are forced into labor
in Turkey are exposed to sexual exploitation. The
reproductive organs of one-third of these women are
damaged, so they face the danger of never becoming a
mother again. Sixty percent of the women who were
forced into prostitution are Moldovan and Ukrainian.
The rest are from Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and
Romania.
Some of the striking statistics on Turkey in the IOM
report are:
- In 2005 the number of human trafficking victims in
Turkey was 469.
- The prostitution mafia earns $150 per client and forced
women to be with approximately 15 men a day.
- The mafia earned $2,250 a day and $765,000 per victim.
- Although we determined 469 incidents, the actual number
should be ten times higher.
- The total amount of money involved in trafficking women
in Turkey is $3.6 billion annually.
Two victims gave their testimonies to the IOM:
1) I was born in Moldova in 1974. I have two kids. I
had financial hardships and a girlfriend told me I
could earn a lot of money as a dancer in Turkey.
Earlier I worked in Slovenia as a dancer. I was
planning to work in Turkey for a while, earn some money
and then go back home. My friend who offered me the
job in Turkey met all my expenses for the plane ticket
and passport. I was told that a person called Veysel
would meet me at the Antalya Airport. When I landed, I
thought that we were going to the workplace, but Veysel
took me to a village house. He took away my passport
and I was beaten and threatened at gunpoint. I called
the human trafficking hotline in Moscow from the hotel
that I was taken. I was asked to call the 157 hotline
in Turkey. I was saved when I called 157.
2) I arrived for the first time when I was 18 to serve
as a nanny. I met those who returned from Turkey with
jewelry and pricey clothing. Then I had a daughter who
was 19 months old. I was living with my brother and
mother. Our living standards were very bad. I had to
work. I arrived in Istanbul in September 2004. After
serving as a nanny for one week, they told me that I
owed them $1500 for the travel expenses and forced me
into prostitution to pay the debt. I managed to run
away. But I had to feed my baby. I trusted a neighbor
in August 2005, and I returned to Turkey. I fell into
the trap again. The man who met me at the airport took
me to a hotel and forced me into prostitution. They
knew my address and family in Moldova. They threatened
me by saying that if I resisted, they would hurt my
daughter, brother and mother. I was forced to be with
five to six people a day. END TEXT.
¶23. Reported by Zaman Online and The Anatolian Times on
Monday, February 13:
TITLE: Screening for Justice, Liberty and Security
Begins
BEGIN TEXT: Turkish and European Union (EU) officials
have begun to hold talks on the screening of justice,
liberty and security issues as part of Turkey's EU
membership process.
The Turkish delegation, led by Foreign Ministry
Undersecretary Ahmet Acet, will discuss the protection
of immigrant rights, rights of asylum seekers, judicial
cooperation, customs gates, human trafficking and drug
smuggling, and police organization with their EU
counterparts during the three-day talks.
Screening of the justice, liberty and security chapter
is expected to be successful as Turkey's recent
administrative and judicial reforms brought its law in
line with EU regulations.
The screening process will go ahead on February 16 with
an orientation meeting on economic and financial
policy. END TEXT.
¶24. Published by Cumhuriyet on Wednesday, February 15:
TITLE: Prostitution Operation
BEGIN TEXT: Seven women accused of practicing
prostitution in Bakirkoy were taken into custody.
Foreigner Division police, who organized the operation
in Atakoy, reported that the women underwent health
checks and were found to be carriers of a variety of
communicable diseases. The women, after being
questioned, will be deported. END TEXT.
WILSON