VZCZCXRO3279
PP RUEHDA
DE RUEHAK #2893 3381548
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 041548Z DEC 07
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4544
INFO RUEHDA/AMCONSUL ADANA PRIORITY 2500
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL PRIORITY 3591
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS ANKARA 002893 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/SE, G/TIP JENNIFER DONNELLY, AMY ROFMAN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID AFIN ELAB PHUM SMIG SOCI TU
SUBJECT: TURKEY:  RELIEF ON THE WAY FOR ANKARA TIP SHELTER 
 
REF: A. ANKARA 2512 
     ¶B. ANKARA 1893 
 
ANKARA TIP SHELTER HANGS ON 
---------------------------- 
 
¶1.  (SBU) The Ankara TIP shelter, operated by the Foundation 
for Women's Solidarity (FWS), remains open despite a 
three-month funding short-fall.  FWS could not pay salaries 
in September, October, or November 2007.  The Canadian 
International Development Agency has responded positively to 
the IOM Chief of Mission's appeal to Ambassadors on behalf of 
the Ankara shelter (ref A). It will provide a small grant to 
FWS to help cover unpaid salaries, though, without additional 
assistance, a large portion of the last three months' 
salaries will remain unpaid.  Looking ahead, IOM Senior 
Trafficking Assistant Meltem Ersoy told us the European 
Commission (EC) delegation to Ankara and IOM are preparing to 
sign an agreement this week on a two-year, 3 million Euro 
comprehensive anti-trafficking program with Turkey.  Upon 
signing, both the Ankara and Istanbul shelters will receive 
15-18 months guaranteed funding.  The overall program will 
address institutional capacity building, law enforcement 
training, data management, and demand management.  The EC has 
already seconded an official to IOM to help oversee 
implementation of the program in the first year.  Ersoy noted 
that delays in reaching agreement between the EC and IOM on 
the program contributed to the funding short-fall at the 
shelter, as the GOT had anticipated these funds becoming 
available sooner. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) The EC-funded program is designed to support the 
GOT's anti-trafficking national action plan (NAP).  The NAP, 
we are told, is nearly finalized and will soon arrive at the 
PM's office for signature, with extensive input from, and 
review by the Ministries of Justice, Interior and Foreign 
Affairs.  We expect guaranteed support for Turkey's TIP 
shelters to be a key component of the NAP, and will report on 
the plan as soon as it is adopted. 
 
LEGAL ASSISTANCE PROJECT UNDERWAY 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (SBU) In addition to the emergency funding for Turkey's 
TIP shelters, in July 2007 we had recommended USG support for 
an IOM anti-trafficking legal assistance project, which would 
offer TIP training to legal service providers through local 
bar associations (ref B).  Ersoy reported to us that the 
project will soon get underway, thanks to contributions of 
the Dutch (40 percent) and Swedish (60 percent) governments. 
The initial focus will be on Ankara.  There is still room for 
USG participation.  Additional resources would allow IOM to 
expand the training to other districts.  We continue to 
encourage Department funding of this useful initiative. 
 
COMMENT:  FOREIGN ASSISTANCE DOES NOT EQUAL 
A LACK OF CONCERN 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU) COMMENT.  As reported in ref A, the GOT's failure 
to guarantee funding for Turkey's two dedicated TIP shelters 
has been a perennial weakness in Turkey's otherwise 
commendable counter-trafficking effort.  Fortunately, it 
appears the GOT is finally getting a handle on this issue, 
albeit with EU support.  International support, particularly 
from Europe, will remain an important part of Turkey's 
anti-trafficking efforts.  Foreign assistance should not be 
misinterpreted to signify a lack of GOT concern.  Turkey is a 
large, low-income, EU-accession country, and the beneficiary 
of significant pre-accession, harmonization funds in a number 
of areas.  European contacts tell us the GOT has been a 
strong partner, working diligently and constructively to 
manage these resources and build its anti-TIP capacity. 
Turkey is in a critical region and much remains to be done. 
Limited, targeted U.S. funding would go a long way toward 
deepening our own engagement with the GOT on this issue, and 
help us further develop Turkey's capacity to continue to make 
strides toward eliminating TIP. 
 
Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ 
 
WILSON