VZCZCXRO5149
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHNP RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHAK #0320/01 0581547
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 271547Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8937
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAHLC/HOMELAND SECURITY CENTER WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEATRS/TREASURY DEPT WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 000320 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR: G/TIP, G, INL, DRL, PRM, EUR/SE, EUR/PGI; DEPT 
FOR USAID 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KTIP KCRM PHUM KWMN SMIG KFRD ASEC PREF ELAB
TU 
SUBJECT: TURKEY: 9TH ANNUAL TIP REPORT: SUPPLEMENTAL: 
PROSECUTION, MILITARY TRAINING, MISCELLANEOUS 
 
REF: A. ANKARA 273 
     ¶B. ANKARA 274 
     ¶C. ANKARA 275 
     ¶D. 08 SECSTATE 132759 
 
¶1.  (U) Sensitive but unclassified.  Please protect 
accordingly. 
 
¶2.  (U) This cable is a supplement to the three-part response 
(refs A, B, C) to ref D questions, for which some GOT data 
was still outstanding at the time of submission.  Embassy 
point of contact is Anthony Renzulli, telephone 
90-312-457-7178, fax 90-312-468-4775. 
 
Government Measures to Ensure 
Peacekeepers Deployed Abroad 
do Not Engage In or Facilitate TIP 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (SBU) The Turkish military recorded no incidents of 
Turkish military personnel having engaged in or facilitated 
human trafficking or exploiting victims of such trafficking. 
As reported in ref A, Prevention, para G, Turkish military 
personnel participate in NATO Partnership for Peace (PfP) 
training, hosted by the Ankara-based PfP training center. 
Seven Turkish and 37 foreign military personnel attended the 
training in 2008; forty additional Turkish and PfP military 
personnel received the course during the last week of 
February 2009.  The MFA also reported that personnel assigned 
to peace-keeping duties are given a one week course on TIP. 
Turkish military personnel in 2008 also participated in MOJ 
and IOM-led seminars on trafficking. 
 
Law Enforcement Statistics 
-------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU) According to MOJ data provided by MFA, 104 new 
Turkish Penal Code (TPC) Article 80 (human trafficking) cases 
were opened in 2008, and 95 transferred from the previous 
year.  Five cases were annulled, bringing the total number of 
cases prosecuted in 2008 to 204.  69 cases were finalized in 
2008 and 135 transferred to 2009.  Those 69 cases involved 
prosecutions against 273 suspected human traffickers and the 
135 transferred cases were against 627 suspects.  Judicial 
action was initiated against 248 suspected traffickers in 
¶2008.  158 of those were arrested, 55 were to be prosecuted 
on release, 28 remained at large, and four were deported. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Judicial data compilation and reporting on TIP 
prosecutions improved greatly last year.  Rather than 
providing statistics from Turkey's 81 judicial districts, the 
data this year was compiled.  As reported in ref B, 
Prosecutions, Turkey can and does prosecute and convict 
traffickers under a wide range of statutes in addition to TPC 
Article 80.  However, in the past, it has been difficult to 
ascertain precisely which convictions specifically targeted 
traffickers.  Clarifying the picture, this year, in response 
to our question on convictions, the GOT reported to us TPC 
Article 80 convictions and cases opened under TPC Article 80 
but convicted under another statute as de facto convictions 
of human traffickers. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) According to MOJ data provided by MFA, 13 
traffickers were convicted under TPC Article 80 -- a 
three-fold increase over last year.  Sentences averaged eight 
years plus monetary fines.  In addition to the TPC Article 80 
convictions, prosecutions against 39 suspected traffickers 
were opened under TPC Article 80 but the suspects ultimately 
prosecuted and sentenced under TPC Article 227 (mediating 
prostitution).  These sentences averaged 3-4 years' 
imprisonment plus monetary fines.  A prosecution against one 
trafficker was opened under TPC Article 80 but prosecuted 
under TPC Article 109 covering deprivation of liberty.  The 
sentence was 2-4 years' imprisonment.  Five prosecutions were 
opened under TPC Article 80 but the traffickers ultimately 
prosecuted and sentenced under TPC Article 79, the statute 
covering migrant smuggling.  They received 2-4 years and a 
fine. 
 
Issuance of Humanitarian Visas 
------------------------------ 
 
¶7.  (SBU) The GOT issued two humanitarian visas (see ref C, 
Protection and Assistance to Victims, para A) in 2008. 
 
ANKARA 00000320  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
Additional Information Not Reported in Reftels 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶8.  (U) VICTIMS IDENTIFIED:  Of the 118 victims identified by 
the GOT, nine were trafficked for labor (the rest for sexual 
exploitation); eleven were below the age of 18. 
 
¶9.  (U) TRAINING (in addition to the training and seminars 
reported reftels):  Under a new program, 54 Turkish National 
Police (TNP) officers began receiving Russian language 
training in 2008.  109 Jandarma officials in 2008 received 
the agency's four-week course on human smuggling and 
trafficking; 335 have received it since 2006.  The MOJ and 
British Embassy conducted a joint seminar in Ankara on human 
trafficking and alien smuggling February 4-6, 2008.  Seven 
public prosecutors participated in the seminar and 100 judges 
and prosecutors participated in an Antalya-based seminar 
under the same UK-Turkish partnership.  The TNP Public Order 
Department, with British police, held a meeting in Istanbul 
March 5-6, 2008 on prosecuting sex crimes.  33 police 
officers from 16 provinces participated; a follow-up seminar 
was held in November. 
 
¶10.  (U) INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION (in addition to the 
cooperation reported reftels):  MFA reported specific 
international cooperation on 35 trafficking incidents, 11 
through the Southeast Europe Cooperation Initiative (SECI), 
21 with Interpol, two with Ukraine and one with Georgia.  One 
SECI tip resulted in two traffickers arrested and one victim 
saved.  Two joint operations with Ukraine resulted in eight 
suspects arrested and four victims saved.  TNP Foreigners 
Department provided TIP training to ten Kyrgyz police 
officers.  TNP Smuggling and Organized Crime Department 
coordination meetings with foreign police officials continued 
in 2008. 
 
¶11.  (SBU) OFFICIAL INVOLVEMENT IN TIP:  As per ref B, 
Prosecution, para J, the GOT took action against 25 security 
officials in 2008.  In addition, one judge was prosecuted 
under TPC Article 227 and sentenced to two years' 
imprisonment.  The Ardahan Heavy Penal Court in June 2008 
convicted a Judicial Hall employee to one year and six 
months' imprisonment (sentences of less than two years can be 
converted to fines) and barred him from public service for 
one year for mediating prostitution and organized crime.  Two 
prosecutors were "retired under scrutiny" for relations with 
suspected human traffickers, but investigations resulted in 
insufficient evidence for prosecution.  Two Hanak 
Prosecutor's Office employees were warned concerning 
suspected involvement in mediating prostitution and human 
trafficking.  There was insufficient evidence for prosecution 
or strict administrative reprimand.  Administrative action 
was taken against the Gaziantep and the Gaziosmanpasa Public 
Prosecutors for friendships with suspected traffickers. 
 
¶12.  (SBU) CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE:  As reported in ref B, Turkey 
is not known as a source or destination country for child sex 
tourism.  However, the GOT reported that one Turkish fugitive 
was captured abroad and repatriated for raping his minor 
daughter. 
 
¶13.  (U) SHELTER ASSISTANCE:  The Istanbul shelter, 
administered by the Human Resource Development Foundation 
(HRDF), has assisted  six victims so far in 2009, five from 
Turkmenistan and one from Moldova. 
 
¶14.  (SBU) HEROES:  We nominated HRDF Board Chairman Turgut 
Tokus as a Hero in the fight against TIP.  We continue to 
support the nomination strongly but learned after our 
submission that Tokus recently became an American citizen 
(though he plans for the foreseeable future to continue to 
reside in Turkey and continue his work with HRDF). 
 
Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at 
http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Turk ey 
 
Jeffrey