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Cable reference id: #05ANKARA7394

“All of them, those in power, and those who want the power, would pamper us, if we agreed to overlook their crookedness by wilfully restricting our activities.” — “Refus Global“, Paul-Émile Borduas

Hide header UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 ANKARA 007394 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR G/TIP, G, INL, DRL, EUR/PGI, EUR/SE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL [External Political Relations], KCRM [Criminal Activity], PHUM [Human Rights], KWMN [Women Issues], SMIG [Migration], KFRD [Fraud Prevention Programs], PREF [Refugees], TU [Turkey], TIP IN [India; Andaman Islands; Lakshadweep Islands; Nicobar Islands] TURKEY, Press Summaries SUBJECT: TIP IN TURKEY: TURKISH MEDIA ATTENTION, December 1- 15, 2005 ¶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 the Turkish Daily News on Thursday, December 1, 2005: TITLE: Ricky Martin teams up with migration group to fight human trafficking BEGIN TEXT: Pop star Ricky Martin is teaming up with a U.N.-affiliated migration organization to fight the illegal trafficking of people in Colombia. Martin, from Puerto Rico, will support a campaign in Colombia against human trafficking by appearing in television commercials and through his nonprofit charity, the Geneva-based International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Tuesday. "More than half of trafficking victims worldwide are children, forced into pornography, prostitution and labor servitude," Martin said in a statement. "Human trafficking is an unscrupulous market that generates about $10 billion annually." The commercials will be aired starting next year and will focus on the dangers trafficking poses to Colombian children such as sexual exploitation, the Geneva-based IOM said. They will also publicize a new telephone hot line that provides free assistance and information concerning trafficking in the country. Martin, who was recently in Colombia as part of a global concert tour, is also a goodwill ambassador for the U.N. Children's Fund. With UNICEF, he has tried to draw attention to sex tourists who travel to foreign countries to exploit children drawn into prostitution. He also visited Thailand in the aftermath of last December's devastating Indian Ocean tsunami to help orphans and families who lost relatives. The singer - whose hits include "She Bangs," "Shake Your Bon-Bon" and "Livin' La Vida Loca" - started the Ricky Martin Foundation about 10 years ago to help children in need. Its People for Children project has been active in anti-trafficking programs. IOM was established in 1951 to resettle European migrants or refugees and is active around the world in helping people who are displaced. It also assists governments in migration issues. END TEXT. ¶3. Published by Zaman Online (www.zaman.com) on Saturday, December 3: TITLE: 4 Arrested on Human Trafficking in Izmir BEGIN TEXT: Four people have been arrested and sent to prison in Izmir on charges of organizing human trafficking. The four were detained by Izmir Gendarmerie Smuggling and Organized Crime Branch teams following six months of surveillance of smugglers who were bringing illegal immigrants into Turkey and then taking them by boat to Greece. The four were identified as Sait S., 43; Ahmet G., 50; Sedat T., 46; and Soner K., 32. END TEXT. ¶4. Reported by Aksam on Monday, December 5: TITLE: Police save sex slaves BEGIN TEXT: On a tip that women were being forced into prostitution, police raided a house on Baskurt Street in the Taksim neighborhood of Cihangir and saved four foreign prostitutes. A Crimean, O.A., was arrested and sent to prison on charges of selling women, and it was announced that the search was on for three Turks. A "prostitution notebook" with the names of clients was seized in the raid on the apartment where Ukrainian women were kept. END TEXT. ¶5. Published by Ankara Anatolia on Thursday, December 8: TITLE: Turkey: Minister Aksu Addresses International Migration Symposium in Istanbul BEGIN FBIS TRANSLATED TEXT: Turkish Interior Minister Abdulkadir Aksu indicated on Thursday that the Turkish government is working on projects for better control of national borders which will soon become the borders of the European Union (EU). Minister Aksu took the floor at the symposium entitled "International Migration" in Istanbul. "The concept of migration affects the whole world. Migration has an impact on countries' political, social and military policies," said Aksu. Aksu remarked that about 500,000 migrants enter the EU illegally every year. Aksu pointed out that Turkey has accepted millions of migrants and refugees throughout its history. "Migration into Turkey lands began with the arrival of 300,000 Jews from Spain. In the past 200 years, Turkey has been home to millions of refugees," noted Aksu. According to Aksu, Turkey received 52,542 refugees from Iraq in 1980, 300,000 refugees from Bulgaria in the 1980s and close to 40,000 refugees from Bosnia- Herzegovina in the 1990s. Aksu stressed that, as a country with 9,658 kilometers of sea and land borders, Turkey plays an active role in the fight against international crimes and terrorism. Minister Aksu commented that Turkey has taken measures to help the victims of trafficking. "We have opened shelters for the victims of human trafficking in big cities such as Istanbul and Ankara. We have allocated 5 million YTL (5.13 million USD) to help the illegal migrants who enter Turkey. We are working on new projects to have the latest technology at our borders. Our borders will become more secure against international crimes," added Aksu. END FBIS TRANSLATED TEXT. ¶6. Carried by Haftalik magazine in their December 9th issue: TITLE: Turkey's Prostitution Map BEGIN TEXT: Prostitution is one of the fastest growing problems in Turkey. It's possible to see this growth in the evenings in urban centers of large cities. On one side people are milling in the streets, on the other side the sale (of women). It's all intertwined. The rise in the prostitution rate has even caused it to be reported. According to an Ankara Trade Board report, the number of prostitutes in Turkey is approaching 100,000. According to the same report, there are 56 brothels and around 3000 prostitutes working in them. The number of registered prostitutes in Turkey numbers more than 15,000. Another 30,000 women are waiting for their permits to work as prostitutes. Especially in recent years, prostitution has evolved into street walkers and unlicensed brothels. Just in Diyarbakir alone, there are 1000 unlicensed brothels. The prostitution sector controls about $3.4 billion. Interestingly, almost two-thirds of those who go to prostitutes are married. According to the ATB report, 63.4 percent of prostitutes' clients have official (legal) marriages and 12.2 percent have religious (illegal) marriages. The report claimed that 30 percent of the prostitutes are marketed by their husbands, 10 percent by their fathers, mothers, big brothers or other relatives, and 3.4 percent by their boyfriends. And the most important factor to the prostitution problem is foreign women. According to Turkish National Police data, in the last ten years the number of foreign women who were captured while serving as prostitutes was 30,073. Almost 40 percent of these women were in Istanbul. Based on this information, we drew up a "prostitution map" of Turkey. Istanbul: Transvestites have taken over the streets. In recent years the rate of transvestite prostitution has increased, in particular on Istanbul streets. Until ten years ago, they were seen only on the Cevizlibag-Merter portion of the D-100 highway; now they are everywhere. You can see them after 21:00 hrs in Taksim, Elmadag, Harbiye, Sisli, Aksaray, Vatan Caddesi, D-100 Cevizlibag-Esenyurt areas. On weekends there is a transvestite prostitute every five meters from Tarlabasi Boulevard to Harbiye. The transvestites strike up deals with customers, whom they then take to "brothels" located on side streets. They also operate on the Kennedy Sea Road and on the Anatolian side in Caddebostan and on the Bostanci-Pendik highway. Women prostitutes retreat to unlicensed brothels. As prostitution is spreading, it has gotten harder to find female prostitutes on the streets. Women prostitutes are generally are seen on Millet Caddesi, certain parts of Taksim and around Maslak. Women prostitutes prefer working in closed unlicensed and by appointment brothels, which leaves the streets to transvestite prostitutes. It is believed that there are hundreds of unlicensed brothels in Istanbul. There are also many prostitutes who are operating individually and by telephone appointments only. These are girls who want to keep their families unaware of their work. This is very popular and friends and telephone numbers are exchanged. Foreign prostitutes who used to operate only in the Aksaray area are now in Etiler and Beyoglu as well. There are also many foreign women at unlicensed brothels. In fact, they even live there. They prefer to stay at places like Atakoy and Atasehir where there are many condominiums. In recent years foreign prostitutes do not come only from the former Eastern Bloc countries, but also from Africa and Iran. Izmir: Prostitutes invade rich neighborhoods. Transvestite prostitutes operate in the Alsancak district, Kibris Sehitleri Caddesi and Talatpasa Boulevard. Police are trying desperately to rid these rich areas of prostitution. They prefer to operate through hitchhiking. Some operate out of their houses or cars. During the Izmir Fair in September, transvestites from other cities, especially Istanbul, travel to Izmir. Foreign prostitutes, like Russians, are found in the Basmane district hotels. Some of these hotels do not take Turks. The hotels cater to mostly foreign tourists. Turkish prostitutes work at brothels here and there. The Izmir brothel is one of the most popular sites. Ankara: Due to police pressure, prostitution has gone to the ring roads. As in Istanbul, in Ankara you see transvestite prostitutes on the street; women prostitutes have gone indoors. Transvestites used to be seen mostly on Cinnah Caddesi, but because of police pressure, they moved to houses around Eryaman and they look for clients on the Istanbul road. Women prostitutes cater to truck drivers on the same road. There have been raids on unlicensed brothels in Yenidogan and Mamak. Both Turkish and foreign prostitutes work at nightclubs in the Ulus district. Trabzon: The Russians are in charge of the market. Trabzon was one of the first stops for foreign prostitutes who began to pour in in the early 1990s. There is still a high potential in this city. Many foreign prostitutes in particular operate out of hotels on the Rize road. It is a known fact that foreign prostitutes operate out of the Comlekci district. Antalya: The Lara and Konyaalti beaches are prostitution centers. There are two centers of prostitution in Antalya. The first one is in Lara's Barinaklar area. Foreign prostitutes work in this district. The second area is the harbor. Turkish prostitutes, when they have the opportunity, operate out of parks close to the harbor. The Konyaalti shore is another area where prostitutes look for clients. There is a brothel on the way to the Duden Waterfalls. Although the number of transvestite prostitutes has increased in recent years, they have not yet taken over the streets. Bursa: Upon the brothel closing, business takes to the street. Since the city brothel was closed down, prostitution has taken to the streets. In the evening hours, the Central Bus Station region, Carsamba, the Merinos intersection, Cekirge Street and the new Yalova road are where one can find female prostitutes and transvestite prostitutes. Foreign prostitutes operate out of certain hotels. These are mostly women who are brought from Istanbul's Yenikapi, to Yalova and from there to Bursa. And what is the situation in other cities? Diyarbakir: The Diyarbakir brothel is an important prostitution center for the region. It is on the Mardin Road. In the city center there are some secret brothels as well. Adana: Turkish prostitutes work in the Old Bus Station district and on the Adnan Menderes Highway. Both female and transvestite prostitutes look for clients on the Baraj Road. Samsun: Foreign women operate by phone and stay on Ataturk Boulevard, Centennial Boulevard and in some other areas. Eskisehir: There is a brothel and prostitutes operate on the old NATO road. They are also found in Alaaddin Park. Erzurum: There are some foreign prostitutes in the hotels on the Palandoken Road. Konya: There are brothels in the city center. They are mostly in the Zafer District. Prostitutes mostly come from Adana and Mersin. Gaziantep: Prostitution is seen mostly in casinos and bars in town. END TEXT. ¶7. Published by Ankara Anatolia on Thursday, December 15: TITLE: Turkish Interior Minister in Athens to Attend Meeting on Illegal Migration BEGIN FBIS TRANSLATED TEXT: Turkish Interior Minister Abdulkadir Aksu has arrived in Athens today to attend a quartet meeting, titled "Illegal migration and struggle against human trafficking," with Greek, Iranian and Pakistani ministers. The meeting is hosted by Greek Minister of Public Order Yeoryios Voulgarakis and will also be attended by interior ministers of Iran and Pakistan. The ministers from four countries will discuss illegal migration, human smuggling, illegal drug trafficking and organized crimes. There will be a joint statement at the end of the meeting on Friday. Aksu and other ministers will meet Greek President Karolos Papoulias and Minister of Interior Prokopis Pavlopoulos today. Abdulkadir Aksu is expected to hold talks with both Iranian and Pakistani ministers. Minister Aksu will depart from Athens on Friday night. The meeting was originally scheduled for October 10th- 11th, but was postponed due to the massive earthquake in Pakistan. END FBIS TRANSLATED TEXT. ¶8. Published by Radikal on Thursday, December 15: TITLE: Little girl forced into prostitution BEGIN TEXT: In the Gokova region of Ula sub-province, Mugla, eight people were detained, seven on the charge of having sex with an underage girl in return for money and the girl's aunt, who marketed her, was detained. After receiving a tip, the Jandarma detained GG, RD, MK, SK, AC, SS and NS for having sex with F.A. (15). Based on their testimony, HM, the aunt of the girl, was detained as well. The eight suspects were arrested and put in jail. END TEXT. WILSON