Media Room - News at June, 2005

Sabah Newspaper - June 30, 2005

Sabah Newspaper
Ergun BABAHAN

    Are consciences at ease?

    Everybody talks about turban, but nobody is interested in our neighbour's young women's tragedies.

    People have an existence combat because of collapse of USSR. Thousands of people, which have a job and incredible education background, had to do jobs that they did not deserve. As in every crisis time, women had the severest bill in this term. From Russia to Ukraine, thousands of women were forced to sell her bodies because of their families' struggle to make a living. Among these women, of course there were someone which selected east money, but helpless and poor people were the power of prostitution sector that also exploded in Turkey.

     A humanity tragedy occurred and is occurring mow in front of our eyes.

     The sector is so big and there is so much money that it established its sub-sector.

     These women can enter into Turkey easily. In Turkey, there are always lots of African, Iraqi people caught as they want to go to Greece, Italy, France illegally, but there is nobody caught because of illegally entrance by boat and prostitution.

     Trabzon and İstanbul's center are sometimes turning into body market which includes women that are forced, but nobody is interested in this issue.

     However, there is a party in power which says that it is "conservative democrat". They are not interested in this issue, too...

     Everybody talks about turban, but nobody is interested in our neighbour's young women's tragedies. Actually, in this issue, we are (press) so guilty, too.

     An article in The New York Times activated us (Sabah Newspaper). And then we had to examine the prostitution sector. There is a humanity tragedy and all conscientious people must combat with this tragedy. Moreover, everybody (including authorities) knows the plot.

     We are witnesses of women trafficking which destroys society's moral judgment, humanity honour and other values but we do not do anything.

     Our friens Ceren Akdağ wrote news that shows Turkey's second place in "Human Trafficking". Turkey is selected because of better economic conditions than its neighbours and easiness of taking visas. 50% of women that entered Turkey are young girls between 19-25 years old. Most of them come from Ukraine and Moldova. These young people are said to be au-pair, housekeeper, etc. but are forced to be prostitutes. These women's passport are being taken; if they don't want to be prostitutes, they are being tortured. Briefly, the tragedic scenes are being lived in our country and if we see that scenes in a film, we will probably cry. This situation is the severest example of human rights' violation. Turkey's combat time against this humanity crime has come, maybe gone.

Sabah Newspaper - June 30, 2005

Sabah Newspaper
Zülfikar Ali AYDIN

    DURING DAYLIGHT "AKSARAY," AT NIGHT "PROSTITUTION PALACE"

    I was given the assignment to feel the pulse of the prostitution in Aksaray, where people pour when they find money. I called a friend who is experienced on Aksaray and who lives in my district. Using the premise of planning "a favor" for another friend before he leaves to do his military service, I decided to follow the women trafficking from Moldova, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Russia, Azerbaijan and Romania to Turkish night clubs and discos.

     We agreed to meet in front of the Malibu Disco Bar at midnight. It was necessary to check the neighborhood during daylight before going to the sites. These buildings were from 1960s and now their ground floors and basements are converted into night clubs. I wanted to inquire how much I would pay at the bars with the 500 YTL, I got for the assignment. The first thing I learned was the names of the night clubs that one should not ever step in.

     I talked to a friend who has a clothing shop and he told me the following on the night clubs that are on the same street with the Fatih Sub-provincial Police Station in Aksaray. "A week ago I got my shop painted. The two painters came in late afternoon and said that they were robbed. They went to a night club. They were served alcohol, nuts and slices of melon and water melon. Then came the bill: 350 YTL. When they would not pay the bill, five waiters charged for the two-hour entertainment by beating them up and taking their credit cards and IDs. So don't enter the clubs, except one, on the Mustafa Kemal Pasa Street, where the Fatih Police Station is also located."

     I arrived at Gabardi around 22:00 hrs along with the friend who supposedly would go to do his military service. At the door we were received with respect and affection. This ended at the check point inside. A man with moustache and wearing a suit asked as he played with my cell phone and cigarettes, "Do you carry a gun?" I responded, "No. We came for entertainment." After the check, a waiter asked us to follow him. When I tried to divert my path and not follow the waiter, I was warned, "Where are you going? You are forbidden to go there."

     It reportedly is up to the waiter whether he gives you a table closer to the women. As two friends we were seated at a tiny table and we ordered two beers. Later strawberries, water melon, nuts and olives were brought to our table. Around the dance floor there were mostly middle aged, bald men with moustaches and big bellies. After a while Russian, Moldavian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian and Kyrgyz women came in. They were all six-foot tall and most of them were blond. They were between 17 and 25.

     TOMORROW: Bargaining over sitting down and getting up at the night club and maneuvering for bringing down the price that opens from $100...

    HOTLINE 157 ESTABLISHED FOR WOMEN FORCED INTO PROSTITUTION

    When one says "immigration" in Turkey, the first thing that comes to mind is those who emigrated to Germany but after the collapse of the East Bloc, there has been an influx from these countries to Turkey. The reason for the influx is "woman trafficking." It was covered by the New York Times the other week. Meanwhile, Turkey is a Tier 2 country in the U.S. annual "Human Trafficking" report. Turkey has established a 157 hotline for foreign prostitutes (to improve its image). This line was established six months ago. The 157 Hotline served as a mediator for saving 14 women from the prostitution sector until now.

     IOM and the MFA Consular Affairs jointly carry out this project and the goal is to help women who realize that they were deceived and who are victims and to make organized crime networks collapse.

     Turkey, which is a destination country in human trafficking, is very popular. Marielle Sander Lindstrom, the Turkey rep of IOM, explained that this was because of the two reasons: Turkey's economic situation is much better compared to neighboring countries and it is easier to obtain a visa. The networks face a visa difficulty in European countries so Turkey is an easy country to get in for human traffickers. When networks in countries such as Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia and Uzbekistan that sell women receive a demand from Turkey, they sustain their ties on both sides.

     TOMORROW: Women who are saved through Hotline 157 speak out….

    BARGAINING CARRIED OUT ON THREE FRONTS

     No matter which street you enter in Aksaray you see foreign women. The bargaining over sex begins at mid-day in Aksaray, the heart of the prostitution sector. Such bargaining which used to be done freely on the streets and under the bridges in Aksaray, now are conducted mostly in covered areas.

     Azeri prostitutes who cannot find a place in night clubs in general are strolling the streets where automobile spare parts are sold in Aksaray. Azeris said that they were using this method because there is not much demand for them but they are aware of the tricks that are played.

     Aksaray is a prostitution paradise but those who guide the sector are always cautious. As a resident of Aksaray put it there are three types of prostitution: One way, is taking women out of the night club. This is the most expensive method.

     Second option is the brothels that foreign women established with 3-5 friends in Aksaray and adjacent provinces. The third is conducting the bargaining on the phone. A prostitute gives away her cell phone number through her clients. Thus, she determines her own clientele. After the night fall the bargaining that was conducted in secret places comes on the streets.

Hürriyet Newspaper - June 28, 2005

Hürriyet Newspaper
Fatih ALTAYLI

    Is Turkey Happy to Be a Women Market?

    The New York Times reporter, Craig Smith had visited Turkey and made a research and the result of the research is incredible; 'Bazaar is set up and women are sold.' This is the reality that everybody knows very well and that I wrote many times before and could not achieved a result. This reality was indicated us one more time by the New York Times. This started with small steps but now it's a real sector and recent years, it turned into exactly 'slave trade'. The prostitution sector reached the remote places in Anatolia and captured some of the cities completely. Top of the list of these cities are Trabzon, Istanbul and Antalya. The situation of Istanbul is the most crucial one in these cities. The night clubs, where the Russian women are marketed, are crowded. Actually, all these places are unlicensed brothel. The most famous one is around Aksaray in Istanbul. Moreover one of these is only 50 meter far from Police Office. The girls are brought from old Soviet countries and sheltered and worked in houses as groups. The earnings of these women are very low. Principal money is earned by trafficker and the gangs in this sector. The situation is not different in Antalya. Ornekkoy in Lara is almost under the occupancy of these gangs. Some girls that are preferred by customers are sold and bought. Besides there are some groups that kidnap girls from one gang and sell other gang. In Ornekkoy, gunshots are heard every night. The interesting thing is, again the police office is only 100 meters far away from this place. Anyway in Trabzon the situation is as worst as other cities and also women live in Trabzon protest the situation. What does Police Office do while all these are happening? As I can see 'Nothing' Except one or two operations, there is nothing. There are girls that are murdered and suicide. Turkey's image is damaged. If the government is happy with the bad image of Turkey as 'women trafficker country', I do not have any more words to say.

Radikal Newspaper - June 13, 2005

ANKARA-Radikal Newspaper
Hilal Köylü

    157: Woman Rescued By New Helpline

    Woman from Moldova rescued in first week of operations, police arrest trafficker.

    The 157 Helpline, operated by the International Organization for Migration, has rescued its first victim of trafficking, a Moldovan woman who called the new emergency number from a hotel room where she was later rescued by police. Her trafficker was also caught.

    In operating the new helpline, IOM has worked closely with the Foreign Affairs and Interior Ministries. It is looking to work more closely with non-governmental organizations as well.

    IOM Turkey Chief of Mission Marielle Sander-Lindstrom told Radikal that the top source countries for human trafficking to Turkey are Ukraine and Moldava. She said the 157 helpline number is aimed at reducing trafficking from those and other top source countries.

    Lindstrom said that when polices arrived at the Moldavian woman's hotel room they discovered another woman.

    "We learned that the other woman was not a victim but a trafficker," she said. "Unfortunately it is increasingly common for women to work as traffickers. Women deceive women and our job becomes more difficult.Victims call 157 and that information is passed on to the police. The police then intervene. This particular woman is now in the shelter for trafficked individuals in Istanbul and the trafficker is now in jail."

    Turkey joined IOM as a member state in November 2004, and IOM has given Turkey strong marks for its intervention in the trafficking area. Still, the number of trafficking victims in Turkey is unknown.

    In 2004, 262 victims of trafficking were rescued by law enforcement, including 238 foreigners. Lindstrom said that the 157 helpline is being operated in cooperation with other helplines in Ukraine and Moldova, an example of cross border cooperation.

    The campaign also includes 30-second television commercials that will be shown in Moldova, Ukraine and Turkey, publicizing the 157 number.

The New Anatolian - June 6, 2005

Washington-The New Anatolian

    US: "Turkey must fight human trafficking"

    Turkey is a transit and destination country for women and children trafficked primarily for sexual exploitation, the U.S. State Department said in its human trafficking report released on June 1.

    The report claimed that some men, women, and children are also trafficked for forced labor. 'There has been increasing evidence of the internal trafficking of Turkish citizens for forced labor and sexual exploitation. Most victims come from Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, including Moldova, Ukraine, Russia, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Belarus' the report added.

    The report went on to claim that the Turkish government does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking. However, it is making significant efforts to do so.

    US: "It's too early to see results of Turkish counter-trafficking campaign"

    Concerning the new program in Turkey that aims to fight against human trafficking, the U.S. State Department report said, 'The government publicy launched its 2005 counter-trafficking campaign, which is too recent to show results.'

    The International Organization for Migration (IOM), in close cooperation with the Turkish government, last week launched a campaign to fight human trafficking in Eastern Europe, Turkey, and the former states of the Soviet Union.

Radikal Newspaper - June 4, 2005

    Helpline Inundated By Calls

    The "157" helpline for counter-trafficking has been jammed by more than 3,000 curious callers in the first two weeks of operations. Just 3 legitimate calls received during this period

    ANKARA - Curious callers have overwhelmed operations of the new '157' helpline established to assist trafficked persons. The line has recorded more than 3000 calls in the first two weeks.

    The helpline launched late last month. But curiosity seekers have been the main attraction rather than people who actually need help. So many people have called the line that there have been bottlenecks in incoming calls.

    Just three out of the 3,000 were deemed legitimate assistance calls, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

    Agreement with Ukraine

    The Ministry of foreign affairs is stepping up its efforts to protect the human rights of foreign citizens on Turkish. To this end, the ministry has signed agreements with related countries about human trafficking and return. Ukraine's Viktor Yuşçenko will make a visit on 6-8 June to Turkey and an agreement will be signed in this regard.

Cumhuriyet Newspaper - June 2, 2005

    Counter-trafficking Campaign

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey in cooperation with the International Organization for migration (IOM), launched a multi-country campaign against counter-trafficking in Eastern Europe, Turkey and former Soviet Union countries.

    The programme is aimed at rescuing and saving potential human trafficking victims and was introduced in a press conference by IOM Turkey Chief of Mission Marielle Lindstrom and Ministries of Foreign and Interior delegate.

    "Human trafficking, is a big problem that cuts across international borders,"said Lindstrom.

    The lynchpin of the campaign is the establishment of the `157 helpline` for rescue of trafficked women. Helpline operators provide assistance in Turkish, Russian and Romanian.

    IOM is publicizing the 157 helpline in coordination with the Turkish government in Eastern Europe, Turkey and key countries of the old Eastern Block. Within this framework TV commercials will be shown in Turkey, Ukraine and Moldava.

    Also, passport inserts are being distributed at Turkish airports. In these passport inserts it is written:

    "Welcome to Turkey. Turkey fights for your rights. If anyone forces you to perform work of any kind without pay' call the 157 hel line."

The New Anatolian - June 2, 2005

    New Program seeks to halt human trafficking

ANKARA-The New Anatolian
Senem Çağlayan

    The International Organization for Migration (IOM), in close cooperation with the Turkish government, yesterday launched a campaign to fight against human trafficking in Eastern Europe, Turkey, Turkey, and the former states of the Soviet Union.

    The coordinated campaign aims to rescue and protect potential and current victims of human trafficking who are entering Turkey especially from Moldova and Ukraine.

    IOM Chief of Mission in Turkey Marielle Sander-Lindstrom delivered a speech yesterday to introduce the new campaign which will be conducted through the media.

    As a part of the media campaign, a free '157' emergency hotline to help rescue victims of human trafficking will be publicized through TV commercials. 'In order to protect human rights we will air public service announcements on TV for the free 157 emergency hotline because we know that the victims watch TV in their free time, and this is the best way to reach them,' said Lindstrom.

    'Human trafficking is a problem that crosses international borders. This campaign embraces a comprehensive, regional approach to prevent human trafficking,' she added.

    Besides TV spots, Turkey will distribute small handouts or passport supplements to those who enter Turkey through main border gates. Besides telling about the 157 emergency lines, these supplements will include warnings about human trafficking.

    Similar handouts will also be distributed in Ukraine by non governmental organizations (NGOs) to those planning to visit Turkey and groups at risk of falling prey to human trafficking. Distribution will be carried out especially at the ports of Odessa and Crimea, and the Antalya and Istanbul airports. As apart of the campaign, billboard advertisements were also erected at those airports.

    The campaign, which includes public education, the training of public institutions for the application of related laws, and giving direct medical and physiological assistance to victims, is funded by a $700.000 U.S. grant.

Radikal Newspaper - June 2, 2005

    "Human Trafficking" line

ANKARA RADIKAL - The International Organization for Migration, Turkey has launched a campaign to combat human trafficking in Eastern Europe, Turkey and the former Soviet Union. A centerpiece of the campaign is the launch of the "157" emergency helpline for rescue of trafficked individuals. Victims of trafficking can call the line 24 hours a day to receive assistance. The line is operated 24 hours a day, free of charged, by staffers and volunteers who speak Turkish, Russian and Romanian.