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Viewing cable 08ANKARA426, TURKEY: 8TH ANNUAL TIP REPORT: VICTIM PROTECTION

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
08ANKARA426 2008-03-04 15:19 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy Ankara
VZCZCXYZ0936
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHAK #0426/01 0641519
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 041519Z MAR 08
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5468
INFO RUEAHLC/HOMELAND SECURITY CENTER WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC PRIORITY
UNCLAS ANKARA 000426 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR: G/TIP, G, INL, DRL, PRM, EUR/SE, EUR/PGI 
 DEPT FOR USAID 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KCRM PHUM KWMN SMIG KFRD ASEC PREF ELAB TU
SUBJECT: TURKEY:  8TH ANNUAL TIP REPORT:  VICTIM PROTECTION 
AND ASSISTANCE 
 
REF: A. SECSTATE 2731 
     B. 07 ANKARA 2893 
 
1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Please protect accordingly. 
 
2. (U) Post's responses are keyed to reftel A questions. 
This is part 3 of 3 (septels). 
 
VICTIM PROTECTION AND ASSISTANCE 
-------------------------------- 
 
A.  (SBU) Foreign victims identified by Turkish authorities 
may apply for humanitarian visas and remain in Turkey for up 
to six months.  According to MFA reports, the GOT issued 
three humanitarian visas in 2007 (and 38 since 2004).  The 
humanitarian visas carry a six-month residence permit and the 
option to extend for an additional six months.  Victims in 
Turkey under the visa are permitted to work.  Most victims, 
however, choose to return to their country of origin. 
Identified victims are not required to pay normal departure 
fees or fines and the GOT does not take steps to bar re-entry 
to Turkey.  Identified victims are not deported and are 
entitled to free legal, medical and psychological services 
(see para B, below).  IOM, in partnership with shelter 
administrators Human Resources Development Foundation (HRDF) 
and Foundation for Women's Solidarity (FWS), assist victims 
returning to their countries.  Shelter and law enforcement 
officials ensure victims' safe return using the following 
techniques:  TNP, in cooperation with MFA, request 
documentation for the victim from source country authorities 
(embassies); victims are permitted to await departure in 
special, secure departure lounges; document check is handled 
separately and victims are escorted directly to the airplane 
(or border crossing); MFA provides information on the 
victim's repatriation to source country authorities to 
prevent re-trafficking. 
 
B.  (SBU) The GOT provides trafficking victims free access to 
shelter, and legal, medical and psychological services. 
Foreign victims have the same access to care as domestic 
victims.  The country has two shelters dedicated to assisting 
trafficking victims.  One shelter, operated by HRDF, is 
located in Istanbul, and the other, operated by FWS, is in 
Ankara.  In 2007, the Istanbul shelter provided care to 64 
victims; the Ankara shelter to 45 victims.  The shelters 
offer a full range of psychological, counseling, vocational 
and legal services.  The Ministry of Health provides free 
medical services to victims.  One HRDF shelter employee and 
one FWS shelter employee participated last year in a 
Department-sponsored TIP IVLP, along with a counterpart from 
the Turkish National Police (TNP) and the Ministry of Justice 
(MOJ).  The two shelters are presently funded by the European 
Commission (EC) through a two-year, 3 million Euro 
comprehensive anti-trafficking project.  Under the new 
national action plan currently awaiting the Prime Minister's 
signature, the GOT will assume direct funding responsibility 
for the shelters at the completion of the EC project (see 
part 1, septel).  The Istanbul and Ankara municipalities 
provide shelter facilities free of charge, and the Ankara 
municipality includes all utilities.  The Istanbul shelter 
was financed during the reporting period with a direct YTL 
200,000 ($167,000) allocation from the Prime Ministry Social 
Solidarity Fund (the "Fund").  IOM granted an additional YTL 
75,000 from Norwegian/Swedish-provided funds.  FWS received 
75,000 YTL in 2007 from the Fund to cover Ankara shelter 
expenses, and IOM gave YTL 80,000 from 
Norwegian/Swedish-provided funds.  The Canadian aid agency 
provided the Ankara shelter an additional YTL 4,000.  Funds 
for the Ankara shelter proved to be inadequate for FWS when 
the GOT and EC faced delays in finalizing agreement on the 
anti-trafficking project that was to fund the shelters over 
the subsequent 17 months (see part 1, septel for additional 
project information).  FWS was thus forced to curtail 
salaries in order to meet expenses (ref B).  The Ankara 
shelter did not cease operations, however, and the funding 
situation has resolved itself upon the agreement's 
finalization. 
 
C.  (U) The GOT provides funding and other support to HRDF 
and FWS to operate the shelters in Istanbul and Ankara; the 
Istanbul and Ankara municipalities provide the shelter 
facilities rent-free (see above). 
 
D.  (SBU) The GOT has a formal system for proactively 
identifying trafficking victims.  The procedure is as follows: 
 
 
- In the province where the crime is committed, the TNP or 
Jandarma conduct an initial interview with a psychologist and 
attorney.  Any potential victims and/or any foreign person 
apprehended at a crime scene are referred to the TNP, 
Foreigners Department; 
- A joint interview of the potential victim is conducted by 
the expert police liaisons to the Ankara and Istanbul 
shelters and experts from IOM and HRDF (if near Istanbul) or 
FWS (if closer to Ankara), always including a translator and 
psychologist; 
- After a determination is made that the individual is a 
trafficking victim, the victim is placed at a shelter. 
 
The sole authority for trafficking victim identification lies 
with the TNP Foreigners Department, though it actively and 
effectively engages IOM and NGOs in the process.  Any foreign 
person at a crime scene is automatically referred to the TNP, 
Foreigners Department, and thus screened by TNP experts. 
 
The GOT identified 148 victims in 2007.  IOM assisted 118 
such victims in 2007, and assisted an additional 15 though 
February 15, 2008.  The balance of victims rejected IOM 
assistance and returned directly to their home countries. 
 
E. (U) As reported in part 2, septel, it is illegal for 
foreign women to participate in the legal, regulated 
commercial sex trade. 
 
F.  (SBU) The rights and confidentiality of victims are 
respected.  Identified trafficking victims -- even if they 
deny their victimization -- are neither deported, jailed nor 
fined.  Identified victims are not prosecuted for violations 
of other laws.  However, depending on the location of the 
crime scene, some potential victims wait for a few days or 
more in detention centers until they are interviewed by TNP, 
IOM and NGOs experts.  With Antalya having emerged as a 
trafficking hot-spot, IOM, in partnership with the EC, has 
entered into discussions with TNP and the Antalya 
municipality to develop a dedicated facility there to hold 
potential victims while they await screening. 
 
G.  (U) MOJ, through local bar associations, provides free 
legal services to trafficking victims, including to foreign 
victims choosing to remain in the country and testify against 
traffickers.  With the support of the Dutch and Swedish aid 
agencies, IOM is administering TIP training to Turkish bar 
association lawyers with the aim of developing a core group 
of experts -- particularly women -- who can provide legal 
services to TIP victims, including visa and immigration 
services, and assistance to witnesses cooperating in 
prosecutions.  The Turkish Penal Code contains provisions 
permitting a trafficking victim to seek restitution in civil 
court. To date, we are not aware of a victims having filed 
such a suit.  There is no impediment to a trafficking 
victim's access to legal redress. 
 
H.  (SBU)  The GOT assures victim security and provides 
victim protection through the Ankara and Istanbul shelters. 
Security at the shelters is good; there are cameras and 
alarms.   We are not aware of any specific protections 
afforded to witnesses who are not themselves victims.  (See 
para B above for additional information on the shelters and 
shelter services.)  Once a trafficking victim is placed in a 
shelter, the victim is part of an international referral 
mechanism for rehabilitation and reintegration.  The shelters 
provide computer courses and other vocational training to 
interested victims. 
 
Statistics show that the majority of victims are between the 
ages of 18-35; few identified victims are children. Juvenile 
victims fall are under the care of the Prime Ministry Social 
Services and Child Orphanages Directorate, but are normally 
placed safely in one of the two shelters. 
 
I.  (U) The government provides specialized training for 
government officials to identify trafficking victims and in 
the provision of assistance to victims (see part 2, septel). 
Children are a small percentage of trafficked victims, and we 
are not aware of any specific training on the special needs 
of trafficked children.  However, the TNP provides training 
on child pornography.  Turkish consular officers warn at-risk 
visa applicants of the risk of human trafficking through 
passport inserts advertising the 157 helpline in Russian, 
Romanian, Turkish and English (see part 1, septel).  However, 
nationals from some source countries do not require visas to 
visit Turkey (see part 1, septel).  We have no evidence that 
Turkish nationals are trafficked abroad.  Turkish embassies 
and consulates would be prepared to offer all available 
services to any Turkish nationals in distress. 
 
J.  (U) See above. 
 
K.  (U) IOM -- of which Turkey is a member state contributing 
to the administrative budget -- is the principle IGO working 
with trafficking victims in Turkey.  As noted elsewhere, 
septels, IGO and NGO cooperation with Turkish authorities is 
excellent.  Through partnership with IOM and the GOT, HRDF 
and FWS coordinate shelter, medical services, psychological 
and legal counseling, and repatriation services for victims. 
(See para B, above, for NGO funding information.) 
 
Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at 
http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Turk ey 
 
WILSON