VZCZCXRO8788
RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN
RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHNC #0450/01 1651352
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 131352Z JUN 08
FM AMEMBASSY NICOSIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8876
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1161
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NICOSIA 000450 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/SE, EUR/ERA, G/TIP 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KCRM PHUM KWMN PREL PGOV CY SMIG KPAO
SUBJECT: CYPRIOT REACTIONS MIXED TO RELEASE OF TIP REPORT 
 
REF: SECSTATE 58445 
 
 ¶1.  (SBU) SUMMARY: Reactions to the June 4 release of the 
2008 Trafficking in Persons report were mixed in Cyprus, with 
GOC officials voicing frustration over the Tier 2 Watch List 
ranking while media and NGOs praised the report for 
highlighting the severity of the island's TIP problem. 
Interior and Foreign Ministry officials responsible for 
combating trafficking called the report "discouraging" and 
"unnecessarily negative," although they acknowledged its 
usefulness in fine-tuning anti-TIP tactics and promised to 
devote additional funds to the fight.  Police contacts 
downplayed allegations of TIP-related corruption in the 
ranks.  Media greeted the report's release with an 
unprecedented amount of trafficking coverage, due partly to 
Embassy backgrounders.  Refreshingly, their coverage focused 
solely on the TIP problem and did not demonize the USG for 
producing the TIP report.  Non-governmental organizations 
voiced satisfaction with the document's accuracy and 
recommendations.  End Summary. 
 
--------------------------------------------- - 
Mixed GOC Reaction to a Third T2WL Ranking 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶2.  (SBU) PolOff June 4 delivered reftel points to TIP 
liaisons Natassa Economou at the Ministry of Interior and 
Doros Venezis at the MFA.  Economou stated that the Tier 2 
Watch List ranking for Cyprus was not fair or reflective of 
the GOC's efforts.  She called the evaluation "discouraging" 
and argued that the government had taken greater steps than 
other countries with the same ranking.  She also revealed 
that the MoI had included several anti-trafficking projects 
in its 2009 budget request and that the deputy minister was 
extremely supportive of them.  Economou then acknowledged 
that the report was helpful and a tool to spur further 
progress.  The GOC would continue to take measures against 
TIP, not because of the unfavorable ranking but because it 
was the right thing to do. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Venezis began by criticizing references to the 
"Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus - TRNC" in the report 
and protesting its structure (with separate sections for the 
Republic of Cyprus and the area administered by Turkish 
Cypriot authorities).  Turning to the contents, he believed 
the TIP report was negative in tone and wished the positive 
GOC accomplishments had been highlighted more.  In fact, 
Cyprus had expected to ascend to Tier 2, a point that RoC 
Ambassador Andreas Kakkouris earlier had made with Department 
officials. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) On June 11, PolOff raised the report with the 
director of the Cyprus Police's anti-TIP unit, Rita Superman. 
 Superman said it had stated many truths, "and it is time for 
someone to speak the truth" about the depth of the 
trafficking problem.  She complained, however, that including 
NGO allegations of police corruption were not fair, since the 
charges themselves were exaggerated.  Regarding the police 
anti-trafficking campaign, she admitted it had not yielded 
satisfactory results because traffickers were becoming 
increasingly wily, making it more difficult to build strong 
cases against them. 
 
------------------------------- 
Positive Media and NGO Reaction 
------------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  Due in large part to Embassy outreach with the 
media and civil society and a generally increasing awareness 
of trafficking in Cyprus, the launch of the TIP report 
received an unprecedented amount of positive coverage in both 
the Greek- and Turkish Cypriot communities.  Articles 
appeared in five G/C newspapers and the two largest T/C 
dailies, with several outlets continuing coverage for several 
days.  Most importantly, their focus shifted, from suspicion 
of USG motivations for writing the report, to concentrating 
on the problem itself.  Many stories blasted the government 
for its failure to adequately address trafficking, noting 
(incorrectly) that Cyprus was the only EU country to fall on 
the Tier 2 Watch List.  Media also criticized the existence 
of the "artiste" work permit, a tool for the sexual 
exploitation of trafficked women in Cyprus.  As to broadcast 
coverage, T/C network BRT aired an hour-long interview with 
anti-trafficking expert and Embassy grantee Mine Yucel.  Some 
inaccuracies in media remain, however, especially in 
delineating between trafficking and alien smuggling. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) NGOs roundly welcomed the report, claiming that 
 
NICOSIA 00000450  002 OF 002 
 
 
coverage of it would raise TIP awareness and thereby help 
their cause.  Androula Christofidou, the anti-trafficking NGO 
STOP International's representative in Cyprus, told us that 
her organization's primary goal on the island was the 
abolition of the artiste visa.  Josey Christodoulou, of the 
Mediterranean Institute for Gender Studies, revealed her NGO 
intended to issue a press release praising the TIP report and 
calling on the government to ratchet up its efforts. 
 
------- 
Comment 
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¶6. (SBU) There is growing awareness of TIP in Cyprus, spurred 
in part by the Embassy's efforts and those of its partners. 
We are heartened, for example, that media this year focused 
on substance of the problem and not on our motivations for 
producing the report or alleged intention to "punish" the 
government.  The Christofias administration, in office since 
February, seems committed to improving Cyprus's human rights 
record across the board, and officials are more comfortable 
discussing trafficking and criticizing heretofore 
unsatisfactory efforts to combat it.  We intend to capitalize 
on this attitudinal change in coming months. 
SCHLICHER