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