This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 001097 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR G/TIP, G, INL, INL/CTR, DRL, PRM, IWI 
DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SE, EUR/PGI 
DEPARTMENT FOR USAID 
DEPARTMENT PLS PASS ALL AID MISSIONS IN EUROPE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KCRM PHUM KWMN SMIG KFRD ASEC PREF ELAB TU TIP IN TURKEY
SUBJECT: TURKEY: FIFTH ANNUAL TIP REPORT UPDATE 
 
REF: A) SECSTATE 273089 B) ANKARA 589 C) ANKARA 590 
 
     D) ANKARA 591 E) ANKARA 592 F) ANKARA 903 
 
¶1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Please protect accordingly. 
 
¶2. (U) Post's responses are keyed to questions in Reftel A, 
supplementing responses submitted previously in Reftels B, C, 
D, and E.  Embassy point of contact is Maria Lane.  Lane 
(rank: FS-05) spent approximately 20 hours in preparation of 
this report.  Political Counselor John Kunstadter (rank: 
FS-01) spent approximately 2 hours in preparation of this 
report. 
 
Overview 
-------- 
 
¶A. (SBU) Between January 1, 2005 and February 25, 2005, the 
International Organization of Migration (IOM) alone assisted 
36 trafficked individuals, more than half the total of 66 for 
the entire year of 2004.  IOM Strategic Consultant Allan 
Freedman believes that this increase is due to Turkish law 
enforcement working more aggressively to identify victims of 
trafficking and referring them to IOM. 
 
¶B. (U) For the 239 foreign victims identified in 2004 data 
compiled by the Ministry of Interior, the source countries 
were distributed as follows: Moldova (62), Russia (61), 
Ukraine (26), Azerbaijan (23), Kyrgyzstan (19), Georgia (16), 
Romania (11), Kazakhstan (9), Uzbekistan (5), Turkmenistan 
(3), Belarus (2), and Iran (1).  In 2005 to date, IOM has 
repatriated victims to the following countries: Ukraine (24), 
Moldova (5), Russia (5), Kazakhstan (4), Georgia (1), Belarus 
(1), and Uzbekistan (1) (data for seven were unavailable). 
In 2005, twenty-one victims were between 19 and 25 years old. 
 Five victims were older than 26, and four were between 16 
and 18 years old. 
 
¶G. (U) In addition to GOT efforts described in reftels B, C, 
D, and E, on February 11, 2005 the GOT launched a joint 
anti-trafficking campaign with IOM.  The GOT is contributing 
100,000 USD to the campaign, launched at an MFA press 
conference (see reftel F).  This campaign, to be implemented 
by IOM in coordination with the GOT, includes the following 
activities: 
 
--PREVENTION: Turk Telecom and the GOT agreed on the new 
hotline number 157 for victims of trafficking.  IOM will 
operate the hotline in its first six-month "training period," 
then turned over to a qualified NGO.  The anti-trafficking 
campaign will also include public awareness targeting 
potential victims, the general public, and those creating a 
"demand" for trafficked victims.  Potential/actual victims 
will be given a passport insert at the border highlighting 
the hotline number.  IOM will work with an Istanbul-based 
survey firm to develop two messages, one geared at the 
general public and one raising awareness of the "clients" to 
make them part of the solution. 
 
--PROTECTION: As part of the anti-trafficking campaign, staff 
working at the Istanbul shelter for trafficking victims run 
by Human Resource Development Foundation (HRDF) completed 
training focusing on base shelter operations, psychological, 
and social assistance.  The Ankara municipality has also 
committed to supporting a shelter in Ankara.  MFA officials, 
together with MinInt officials, IOM, and HRDF, will select an 
NGO to run the Ankara shelter in early March 2005.  In 
mid-February, 2005, 1500 Jandarma recruits attended a 
counter-terrorism orientation program presented by IOM at the 
Jandarma's request.  MinInt Departments of Public Order and 
Organized Crime have also requested training, at their own 
expense. 
--PROSECUTION: Sweeping revisions to the Turkish penal code, 
which enter into effect April 1, 2005, include stiffened 
penalties for traffickers and wider definitions of human 
trafficking.  As preparation, the Ministry of Justice is 
currently conducting 5-day workshops around the country, 
training a total of 6,000 prosecutors and judges in the new 
changes to the law.  Article 80, governing human trafficking, 
is included in the training. 
 
Prevention 
---------- 
 
¶C. (U) The MFA released a press statement on February 11, 
2005 launching an anti-trafficking campaign, which was 
covered in all the major Turkish dailies.  The project is 
funded by a 600,000 USD ESF grant and a 100,000 USD in-kind 
contribution from the GOT.  A large component of the project 
is public awareness, as described in excerpts from the press 
release: 
 
BEGIN TEXT: On February 11, 2005, the Government of Turkey 
launched the "Counter-Trafficking Now!" campaign.  The 
one-year project is aimed at preventing trafficking in human 
beings through a nationwide information and awareness 
campaign and stepped up law enforcement.  Safe housing and 
other assistance to trafficked persons is also part of the 
$700,000 USD initiative.  The project will be implemented by 
the International Organization for Migration, funded by the 
U.S. Government (sic) and coordinated by the Government of 
Turkey.  Key activities include: 
 
Information and Awareness: The initiative would fund the 
first nationwide information and awareness campaign about the 
realities of human trafficking in Turkey.  Potential 
trafficked individuals will receive information at key border 
crossings.  These handouts will include key facts on the 
danger signs of trafficking and include the three-digit 
national toll-free telephone hotline for emergency 
assistance.  When fully operational this spring, the hotline 
may be called anywhere, anytime from any phone, including 
mobiles.  Trafficked individuals are routinely tricked and 
deceived before and after they cross the border by promises 
of good jobs, only to be forced to work in the sex industry 
and elsewhere against their will and for no pay.  The 
campaign will also target the general public with television 
and radio advertisements and an international web site on 
human trafficking in Turkey and what we can all do to combat 
human trafficking.  END TEXT. 
 
Investigation and Prosecution of Traffickers 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶D. (SBU) According to statistics obtained by the MFA, 
prosecutions were opened against 227 suspected traffickers 
who were caught.  (Note: According to judicial contacts in 
Ankara, when there is any evidence about the committal of a 
crime, the case must be brought to trial, even if evidence is 
not strong.  Contacts estimated that one-third of the cases 
are dismissed for lack of evidence.  End Note.)  MFA and MOJ 
officials cite difficulties in gathering and tracking data on 
human trafficking from the 80  courts with jurisdiction over 
the issue.  In addition to the logistical problems in 
gathering information, there is some degree of confusion in 
the lower courts over distinctions between trafficking in 
persons and illegal migration.  As a result, MOJ officials 
gathering TIP data sometimes have to make the determination 
themselves whether a case is properly labeled trafficking in 
persons. 
¶G. (U) In February, 2005, the MOJ began a series of five-day 
training programs for judges and prosecutors dealing with the 
new changes to the Penal Code, Execution of Punishments Law, 
and Criminal Procedural Code.  Over 150 trainers will travel 
to 19 centers throughout the country to train 6,000 judges 
and prosecutors.  According to Ilyas Pehlivan from the MOJ 
Training Department, the new Article 80 regarding human 
trafficking will be included, though the amount of time 
devoted to each section will vary according to the region's 
priorities.  In mid-February, more than 50 prosecutors and 
judges from Ankara participated in a workshop on prosecuting 
TIP cases organized by IOM and Embassy Ankara Public Affairs, 
with support from the MOJ.  Dr. Cetin Arslan, Public 
Prosecutor for the Supreme Court, outlined the recent changes 
in Turkish law on human trafficking, and Barbara Carlin, RLA 
in Skopje, worked with participants to develop strategies to 
prosecute traffickers and analyze case studies. 
 
Protection and Assistance to Victims 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶F. (U) In addition to the Istanbul shelter, for which the 
Istanbul Municipality contributes rent, concrete plans are 
underway for opening another shelter in Ankara.  The Ankara 
Municipality has pledged to support the shelter's rent and 
other in-kind contributions (e.g., electricity, etc.).  Aside 
from physical protection such as the Istanbul shelter, the 
MinInt has issued circulars instructing that victims are 
treated and protected in the following ways: 
-- Assigning female personnel in civil clothing to the 
victims in their operations at their request; 
-- Taking measures to prevent victims being in the same area 
as traffickers and accomplices when they are needed for 
identification; 
-- Taking measures to prevent victims from being exposed 
during investigation and repatriation, including allowing 
them to go directly to the airplane and bypass passport 
control; 
-- Providing for rehabilitation and treatment of victims; 
-- Taking special measures to safeguard child victims. 
In surveys conducted by IOM source country offices regarding 
victims' treatment by police/jandarma/law enforcement in 
Turkey, 99% indicated that they had been treated well, with 
one victim stating that she was not treated well. 
EDELMAN