Cablegate: Tip in Turkey: Turkish Media Attention, June 1-15,

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 17 ANKARA 003490

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR G/TIP, G, INL, DRL, EUR/PGI, EUR/SE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL KCRM PHUM KWMN SMIG KFRD PREF TU TIP IN TURKEY
SUBJECT: TIP IN TURKEY: TURKISH MEDIA ATTENTION, June 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 local FSN translation.

2. Published by The Messenger, Georgia's English Language
Daily, on Wednesday, June 1:

TITLE: Georgians working in Greece are "Slaves,
donkeys, and housekeepers"

BEGIN TEXT: According to the newspaper Rezonansi, over
150,000 Georgians legally live in Greece. However, the
newspaper reports that twice as many live in the
country illegally.

According to the article, the majority of Georgian
illegal immigrants living in Greece fall victim to
human trafficking due to their vulnerable status. "95
percent of the illegal migrants are women, including
children, and 5 percent are men. The majority of men
are young," according to the paper. The article also
mentions that many Georgians are serving prison
sentences in Greece, either due to their illegal status
or because of the crimes they have committed.

According to their sources, while there are several
ways of entering Greece, 90 percent of the illegal
immigrants entered the country through either Turkey
and Bulgaria. Some Georgians cross the border on foot,
and some hide on buses. The paper adds that although
some arrive in the country legally, they stay after
their one month visa has expired. END TEXT.

3. Published by the Journal of Turkish Weekly
(www.turkishweekly.net) on Thursday, June 2:

TITLE: New Program Seeks to Halt Human Trafficking

BEGIN TEXT: 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,
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-Listrom
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
nongovernmental 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 a part 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. END TEXT.

3. Published by Hurriyet on Thursday, June 2:
BEGIN TEXT: The NSC Secretary General's office
completed the writing of the new National Security
Policy Document. Upon instructions of Prime Minister
Erdogan the document was made shorter and limited to 25
pages. The current version of the document is hundreds
of pages with its attachments.

The document will be taken up at the June 21 NSC
meeting. Officials are discussing whether or not it
should be made public.

Topics in the document as follows include: Internal
threats: Fundamentalism, separatism and extreme left
are the most important elements threatening internal
security of the country; Regional Differences: Economic
difficulties, difference of development levels among
regions and unemployment are internal threats as well.
They result in crimes of pick pocketing and purse
snatching as well as provocative acts as witnessed in
Trabzon and Mersin; External Threats: For the first
time in this document external threats are not numbered
in rank but 12 mile problem with Greece, Iran and Iraq
and Cyprus issues were mentioned among concerns;
Asymmetric threats: International drug smuggling,
international terrorism and human trafficking were
mentioned among these threats. END TEXT.

4. Published by TurkishPress.com on Friday, June 3, 2005:

TITLE: Ukrainian President Yushchenko: Political
Relations Between Turkey and Ukraine Should Be Improved

BEGIN TEXT: Moscow (AA) - Ukrainian President Viktor
Yushchenko said on Friday that the trade volume between
Turkey and Ukraine exceeded 2 billion dollars,
stressing that the political relations should also be
upgraded.

In an exclusive interview with the A.A. prior to his
official visit to Turkey, scheduled for 7th-8th June,
Yushchenko said that Turkey was really a special
partner for Ukraine in respect of political and
economic relations.

Yushchenko said that Ukraine favored further
improvement of bilateral relations with Turkey, adding
that "we are getting ready to submit proposals to
Turkey to help solve clashes in international hot
spots, because we endorse a coordinated operation in
this area. More than 2-billion dollars of trade volume
between our two countries gives us, the politicians,
the responsibility to upgrade our political relations."

"Turkey's and Ukraine's political willingness to
integrate with Europe is identical. We hope to joint
he EU soon, like Turkey," said Yushchenko.

-UKRAINE ERSPECTS CRIMEAN TATARS-

Referring to the Crimean Tatars, Yushchenko said: "we
respect Crimean Tatars who have ties with Turkey. We
meet all the expenses of Crimean Tatars who proceed to
Ukraine from Central Asia. We thank for the support of
Turkey extended to us to enforce some social, economic
and humanitarian assistance programs for Crimean
Tatars."

-ECONOMIC RELATIONS-
Yushchenko said that the contributions of Turkish
investors to Ukrainian economy was significant, adding
that "we have lots of things to do in economic area,
i.e. elimination of double taxation and the
liberalization of trade. We must also discuss the
common projects which we could undertake with our
Turkish partners in Iraq. We can also work together in
transportation and energy fields. Turkey can be an
amazing partner for Ukraine as an alternative route in
respect of transportation of oil and natural gas
resources."
Noting that Ukraine decreased customs duties
significantly, President Yushchenko added that
Ukrainian liberalized its laws in the banking sector
and made possible to open foreign banks in Ukraine.

-LIBERALIZATION OF VISA POLICY-
When reminded of the problems which Turkish businessmen
faced in Ukraine such as getting a visa, as well as
problems in banking sector, Yushchenko said that
Ukraine is trying to liberalize further its visa
policy.

"I am looking forward to meet Turkish officials to
discuss the visa issue. But we must also try to
counter international drug and human trafficking," he
said. END TEXT.

5. Published by International Herald Tribune on Saturday,
June 4:

TITLE: Turkey's president uses veto on Koran courses

BEGIN TEXT: Ankara. President Ahmet Necdet Sezer of
Turkey on Friday vetoed an amendment to the country's
new penal code that would reduce penalties for teaching
unauthorized courses on the Koran.

The move could reignite tension between the government,
which has Islamic roots, and the country's fiercely
secular establishment.

The provision was part of a package of amendments
pushed by the governing Justice and Development Party,
a conservative movement with Islamic roots.

The article, which would have allowed those convicted
of opening and running illegal educational institutions
to pay a fine rather than face a jail term of up to
three years, resulted in accusations that the
government of Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan was
condoning religious fundamentalism.

Islamic activists in Turkey often run clandestine
schools teaching the Koran, where-free from government
control-they are accused of indoctrinating students in
hard-line fundamentalism.

Sezer, a secularist who has often clashed with the
Erdogan government, said he had returned the amendment
to Parliament for reconsideration because the measure
would encourage "the opening of illegal educational
institutions."

The principle of secularism "is the cornerstone of the
values on which the Turkish Republic is founded," he
said.

If the measure passes for a second time without
changes, Sezer must approve it. He can, however, ask
the constitutional court to annul the legislation.

The provision was introduced by the party as a last-
minute change to a package of penal code amendments
during a parliamentary debate last week.

The main opposition boycotted the session and asserted
that the governing party had an Islamic agenda, even
though it has disavowed its roots.

Turkey's new penal code, which the vetoed package was
intended to amend, took effect Tuesday.

The code improves women's rights and imposes tougher
penalties for rape, torture, human trafficking and
"honor killings," in which women are killed by
relatives for actions deemed to tarnish the family
name.

But the code has come under attack from journalists and
human rights groups, who say its provision to jail
those found guilty of offenses such as insulting state
institutions or harming national security will curb
freedom of speech. END TEXT.

6. Reported by CNN Turk and Haberturk on Wednesday, June 1:
BEGIN TEXT: A 157 Hotline was inaugurated as a human
trafficking hotline by the IOM in order for foreign
women who are forced into prostitution in Turkey to
seek help.

The IOM determined that only in the past five months 81
foreign women were brought to Turkey to e used in the
prostitution sector. This is the figure that the IOM
could reach.

Women, particularly from Russia and the Commonwealth of
Independent States, from now on will be able to call a
hotline (157) in order to escape from organized crime
that takes her passport away and forces her into
prostitution.

The promotional footage for introduction of the hotline
began to be shown on TV in Russia, the Ukraine and
Moldova. Callers will be able to talk Russian-,
Romanian-, Turkish- and English-speaking professional
advisors. If the caller is in danger, the hotline
officials immediately inform the police.

During the two weeks following the inauguration of the
hotline, 3000 calls came in, but only three of them
were women who were in real danger. Police helped all
three. From today on, the hotline will begin a more
comprehensive campaign.

Marielle Sander Lindstrom, Turkey representative of
IOM, is hopeful about the cooperation with the GOT.
The IOM thinks that with this campaign Turkey will be
dropped from the Black List on the human trafficking
issue.

According to data furnished by IOM, in May 81 women
were kidnapped in Turkey. Following were the provinces
where the kidnapping incidents occurred:

Istanbul: 36
Antalya: 16
Ankara: 14
Artvin: 6
Kusadasi: 4

The citizenship of the 81 women who were kidnapped was:

Ukrainian: 23
Moldovan: 19
Uzbek: 10
Russian: 9
Romanian: 6

Twelve of the 81 kidnapped women were younger than 18
and
47 of them were between 19-25 years of age. The
Hotline 157 aims at providing psychological, medical
and direct support to these women.

7. Published on Habervitrini (www.habervitrini.com) on
Thursday, June 2:

TITLE: These two beauties will prevent forced
prostitution

BEGIN TEXT: The Hotline 157, which was established by
the IOM to fight human trafficking at the international
level, became operation.

Selin Unal, representative of IOM, made a press
announcement at Ataturk Airport and introduced the
Hotline 157 for victims. Unal said, "The IOM jointly
promotes with Turkey a Hotline 157 for emergency help.
This is a line for victims to call. A brochure for
promoting the hotline is being prepared in Turkish,
English and Romanian. Within the framework of the
project, which has an annual budget of $700,000,
financed by the U.S. and Turkey, Turk Telecom
established a toll free 157 hotline. A victim can call
this hotline 24 hours a day and seven days a week and
she will be directed immediately to police or the
gendarmerie."

Unal went on, "The campaign, which was inaugurated for
victims who came in particular from countries such as
Moldova, Ukraine and Romania and who were forced to
work by people with bad intentions, aims at saving
these people. Almost all victims, referred to as
modern slaves, are women and are used primarily in the
sex trade. The campaign aims at providing medical,
psychological and direct support to victims. It began
at borders including Ataturk Airport, Antalya and
Trabzon airports. Currently this hotline is being
operated by the IOM and will be transferred to a
Turkish NGO in November. Hotline 157 will be promoted
in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet republics as
well, and at the same time it will be helpful in visa
and repatriation of immigrants."

IOM officials noted that Turkey was one of the top
destination countries for human trafficking victims.
They determined that there were 266 victims of human
trafficking in Turkey in 2004. This figure is only a
small portion of the actual number of victims. END
TEXT.

8. Published by Radikal on Thursday, June 2:

TITLE: Human Trafficking Hotline

BEGIN TEXT: Turkey, along with IOM, is inaugurating in
Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Republics and Turkey
a special campaign in the fight against human
trafficking. First, it will promote the Hotline 157
that became operation a while ago. Victims of human
trafficking who are forced to stay or work will be able
to call this toll free line around the clock.
Volunteers are working at the hotline where responders
speak Turkish, Russian and Romanian. END TEXT.

9. Published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
(www.rferl.org) on Friday, June 3:

TITLE: Middle East: U.S. Trafficking Report
Criticizes Four Gulf Allies

BEGIN TEXT: The State Department report lists four
U.S. allies in the Persian Gulf region-Saudi Arabia,
Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates-as among
the least responsive to the trafficking problem.

It says they are main destinations for sex slaves and
forced laborers, mainly women and children, from
countries including Iran, Afghanistan, and the former
Soviet Union.

U.S. officials today stressed that the 14 worst-ranked,
or "Tier-3," countries have three months to improve
antitrafficking efforts or face sanctions. U.S.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told reporters she
hopes the report will result in increased cooperation.

"We trust that this year's report will raise
international awareness of the crime of trafficking,
and spur governments across the globe to take
determined actions against it," Rice said. "All states
must work together to close down trafficking routes,
prosecute and convict traffickers, and protect and
reintegrate victims into society."

The State Department report examined the situation in
150 countries. It said an estimated 600,000 people are
trafficked across international borders annually, most
of whom are women and children. It cited problems of
poverty and organized crime in countries victimized by
trafficking as well as the need for richer countries,
including the United States, to address demand for
trafficked people.

The State Departments' senior advisor on human
trafficking, John Miller, said sex slavery is a
particular problem. "When we look at slavery
worldwide, we believe sex slavery is the largest
category of transnational slavery," Miller said. "It
is intrinsically linked to prostitution, and we find
that where prostitution is encouraged, the number of
victims increases. That is why to combat sex slavery
we are urging a greater focus on demand, educating and
dissuading the so-called customers."
The report also included a "watch-list" of states
deemed to be of concern for trafficking but not subject
to sanction. Those countries include Armenia,
Azerbaijan, Russia, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, and Slovakia.
The U.S. report cited a number of tragic cases from
this region. It mentioned a 17-year-old orphan from
Uzbekistan named Lusa whose abduction was engineered by
her aunt. She was sold to a prostitution ring in Dubai
and when she was "no longer useable," was sent to a
psychiatric center, the report said. Government
officials and an Uzbek nongovernmental organization are
negotiating her release.

Another case mentioned a young Belarusian woman from
Minsk named Svetlana, who was trafficked to Turkey.
She died attempting to escape. But the U.S. State
Department's Miller says Belarusian and Turkish
authorities worked to prosecute those responsible for
her death.

"There is a bright spot in this too-common tragedy.
Belarusian and Turkish authorities cooperated this year
to arrest and charge those responsible for Svetlana's
death, which I think brings out the bad things that are
happening but also how there is-there are
counterattacks going on," Miller said.

U.S. officials downplayed the threat of sanctions tied
to the report but said it could be effective as a
"naming and shaming" countries linked to human slavery.
END TEXT.

10. Published by Turks.US on Saturday, June 4:

TITLE: US Issues report on Human Trafficking

BEGIN TEXT: The US annual report on Human Trafficking
was issued by the State Department on Friday. Turkey
was on the list of governments who do not fully comply
with the US minimum standards, but are however, making
significant efforts to bring themselves in line with
those standards.

The list is an extensive one with seventy seven
countries with US minimum standards:

TIER ONE: Countries whose governments fully comply
with U.S. minimum standards: (LIST OF COUNTRIES)

TIER TWO: Countries whose governments do not fully
comply with the minimum standards, but are making
significant efforts to bring themselves into compliance
with those standards: (LIST OF COUNTRIES)

TIER TWO SPECIAL WATCH LIST: Countries whose
governments do not fully comply with the minimum
standards, but are making significant efforts to bring
themselves into compliance and meet one of the
following conditions:

a) The absolute number of victims of severe forms of
trafficking is very significant or is significantly
increasing.

b) There is a failure to provide evidence of
increasing efforts to combat severe forms of
trafficking in persons from the previous year.

c) The determination that a country is making
significant efforts to bring themselves into compliance
with minimum standards was based on commitments by the
country to take additional future steps over the next
year. (LIST OF COUNTRIES)

TIER THREE: Countries whose governments do not fully
comply with the minimum standards and are not making
significant efforts to do so: (LIST OF COUNTRIES).
END TEXT.
11. Published by Washington Post on Saturday, June 4:

TITLE: Saudis Rebuked on Forced Labor

BEGIN TEXT: The United States yesterday names Saudi
Arabia and three other Persian Gulf Arab allies as
having among the world's worst records in halting human
trafficking, a rebuke that could subject the countries
to sanctions if they do not act quickly to address U.S.
concerns.

The finding, in an annual report issued by the State
Department, places Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab
Emirates and Saudi Arabia in the same category as such
countries as Cuba, Burma, North Korea and Sudan. Human
rights activists said the inclusion of such close
allies in the war on terrorism suggests that the
administration is beginning to eliminate from its human
rights policy what some have dubbed the "Middle East
exception."

Last year, the State Department also faulted Saudi
Arabia for the first time for its lack of religious
tolerance.

The report said as many as 800,000 people, many of them
women and children, are trafficked across international
borders as sex workers and forced laborers in a modern-
day slave trade. This is the fifth annual report,
which was mandated by an act of Congress at the
instigation of an unusual coalition of feminists and
Christian evangelical groups. President Bush
frequently denounced sexual slavery to motivate his
evangelical base during the 2004 campaign. In the
report, the Gulf Arab states were cited primarily for
practices that allowed the abuse of domestic servants
and laborers who came to the Middle East primarily from
Asia.

The report said the Saudis, for example, lack laws
criminalizing most trafficking offenses, and there is
little evidence of whether employers are ever
prosecuted. Many of the foreign laborers in Saudi
Arabia work as domestic servants, and they are not
covered by Saudi labor laws.

In Saudi Arabia, "we have domestic workers being
brought in from many countries into domestic servitude,
child beggars, a lot of beatings, reports of beatings,
and rape-very difficult to get shelter, no
convictions," said John R. Miller, the senior adviser
for human trafficking.

"Trafficking in human beings is nothing less than a
modern form of slavery," Secretary of State Condoleezza
Rice said. "The United States has a particular duty to
fight this scourge because trafficking in persons is an
affront to the principles of human dignity and liberty
upon which this nation was founded."

Rice has made promotion of democracy and freedom a
central tenet at the State Department. A senior
department official said she was involved in the
decision making on where to rank individual countries
and had directed analysts to make recommendations based
on the criteria laid out in the law establishing the
report.

Tom Malinowski, Washington advocacy director for Human
Rights Watch, said the inclusion of the Gulf states in
this year's report was significant: "It is another
positive sign that the administration is willing to be
honest and straightforward about the shortcomings of
its allies in the Arab world, including Saudi Arabia."

Other countries listed as poor performers in stopping
trafficking include Bolivia, Cambodia, Ecuador,
Jamaica, Togo and Venezuela. An additional 27
countries, including China, India and South Africa,
were placed on a watch list, meaning they have
significant problems but the governments appear to be
making an effort to combat them.
Countries that are listed as poor performers can lose
non-humanitarian, non-trade-related assistance from the
United States, or be deemed ineligible to take part in
cultural and educational exchange programs. But
countries can avoid sanctions if they begin to take
actions to address U.S. concerns in the next few
months.
Two years ago, Turkey and Greece, two NATO allies, fell
into the bottom category, but they have since improved
their standing. Equatorial Guinea and Venezuela have
been sanctioned since the reports began.

"The purpose of the law is not to sanction," Miller
said. "It is to get progress in freeing the victims
and throwing the traffickers in jail." END TEXT.

12. Published in Sabah on Sunday, June 5:

TITLE: "SNATCH & RUN" IMMIGRATION IN THE U.S. REPORT

BEGIN TEXT: The State Department human trafficking
report noted that Turkey was a transit and destination
country for women and children kidnapping for sexual
exploitation.

The State Department issued its fifth such report and
in the Turkey portion of the 2005 report it was noted
that women, men and children were kidnapped for being
forced into labor. It was stated, "There has been
increased evidence that Turkish citizens were kidnapped
for sexual exploitation and forced labor."

It was also noted that most of the victims were brought
from Eastern Europe and former Soviet Republics and in
particular from Moldova, Ukraine, Russia, Azerbaijan,
Kyrgyzstan, Georgia, Romania, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan
and Belarus.

In the report Turkey is in Tier 2 "watch list."

It was stated, "The GOT has not been implementing fully
the minimum standards necessary for eliminating the
problem. But it shows a serious effort toward this
end." END TEXT.

13. Published by Radikal on Saturday, June 4:
TITLE: Prostitution Information Line Jammed

BEGIN TEXT: Curious Turks jammed the 157 Helpline, for
foreigners forced into the country or into
prostitution. More than three thousand people called
the helpline in two weeks, and only three people were
in real danger.

The Foreign Ministry created a new diversion with the
phone calls to the 157 Helpline. The line, starting
its operation last month, was called by more curious
Turks than the needy. The more than 3,000 calls jammed
the line and the necessary service wasn't given. The
Ministry determined that only three of the calls were
for real reasons. Due to the curiosity, the phone
calls were forwarded to tapes in Russian, Romanian and
Ukrainian.

The Ministry's goal is to prevent infringement of
foreigner's human rights, and is signing agreements to
solve the problem at its base to prevent illegal human
trafficking and to facilitate the return of those
people. Viktor Yushchenko, the leader of Ukraine, one
of the most important source countries will sign one of
these agreements during his official visit to Turkey
from 6-8 June. END TEXT.

14. Published by the Journal of Turkish Weekly on Monday,
June 6:

TITLE: Turkey must Fight Human Trafficking

BEGIN TEXT: 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, Georgia,
Romania, Kazakhstan, 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 publicly 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. The coordinated campaign aims to rescue
and protect potential and current victims of human
trafficking, who are entering Turkey especially from
Moldova and Ukraine. As a part of the media campaign,
a free "157" emergency hotline to help rescue human
trafficking victims will be publicized through TV
commercials. Besides TV commercial spots, Turkey will
distribute small handouts or passport supplements to
those who enter Turkey through main border gates. As
well as informing people about the 157 emergency lines,
these supplements will include warnings about human
trafficking. END TEXT.

15. Published by Iran Focus (www.iranfocus.com) on Monday,
June 6, 2005:

TITLE: Human trafficking not being combated in Iran:
US State Dept

BEGIN TEXT: Iran is a source, transit, and destination
country for women and girls trafficked for the purposes
of sexual and labour exploitation, according to the
2005 annual Trafficking in Persons Report released by
the United States' Department of State.

The DoS Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in
Persons noted that "the Government of Iran does not
fully comply with the minimum standards for the
elimination of trafficking."

"Internal trafficking of women and girls for sexual
exploitation and children for forced labor also takes
place," it said, adding that such practices are fueled
by an increasing number of vulnerable groups, such as
runaway women, street children, and drug addicts.

In April, a number of government officials and security
officers were arrested during raids on at least five
houses used as brothels in and around the town of Neka
(northern Iran).

Many runaway girls, some as young as 13, were being
forced into prostitution by several organized
prostitution rings. A number of officers from Iran's
notorious State Security Forces (SSF), commanders of
the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, and heads of a
number of local government departments and institutions
were among those rounded up in the raids.

The girls were also arrested pending judicial
sentencing.

The DoS report said that Iran should also take steps to
enhance protection measures for trafficking victims,
including ensuring those who are punished for
trafficking are not victims.
"Women and girls are trafficked to Pakistan, Turkey,
and Europe for sexual exploitation. Boys from
Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan are trafficked
through Iran to Gulf states, where they are ultimately
forced to work as camel jockeys, beggars, or laborers,"
the report also noted.

"Afghan women and girls are trafficked to Iran for
sexual exploitation, and for sexual and labor
exploitation in the context of forced marriage," it
added. END TEXT.

16. Published by BakuToday.net on Monday, June 6:

TITLE: U.S. Report on Trafficking Puts Armenia on
"Watch List"

BEGIN TEXT: The U.S. Department of State has urged
Armenia to show more consistency and commitment in its
fight against human trafficking. In its annual report
published last week the U.S. Department of State has
put Armenia on a "watch list" deemed to be of concern
for trafficking.

The countries on the "watch list" that also includes
Azerbaijan, Russia, Uzbekistan, Ukraine and Slovakia
are not subject to sanctions unlike 14 countries-mainly
from Asia and Africa-that could face sanctions as worst
offenders for failing to combat human trafficking.

In particular, the U.S. Department of State report
reads: "Armenia is more a source than a transit
country for trafficking. Women and girls from Armenia
are mainly trafficked as sex slaves to the United Arab
Emirates and Turkey."

According to the U.N. data, more than a 1,000 women,
most of whom are victims of trafficking, are exploited
as prostitutes in the UAE and Turkey."

The report says that although the Armenian government
makes efforts to combat this phenomenon, it still does
not achieve the results that may meet even the minimum
requirements.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said she hopes
the report will result in increased efforts to stop the
trafficking of people.

"We trust that this year's report will raise
international awareness of the crime of trafficking,
and spur governments across the globe to take
determined actions against it," she said. "All states
must work together to close down trafficking routes,
prosecute and convict traffickers, and protect and
reintegrate victims into society."

Armenia appeared on the "watch list" because it failed
to present proof last year of its commitment to combat
human trafficking appropriately.

Despite the increasing number of trafficking-related
cases examined by the courts, punishments remain
inappropriately mild and the size of fines low.

In particular, the report indicates that article 132 of
the Criminal Code prohibits human trafficking and sets
four to eight years in prison for this crime.

But the Armenian Government mainly applies article 262
that sets a milder punishment.

The State Department particularly points out that only
one out of 16 cases examined by Armenian courts in 2004
resulted in the application of article 132, while
article 262 was applied in the rest.
The usual jail terms in sentences passed in trafficking
cases in Armenia are 6 months to 2 years, there are
cases that are dismissed or in which the criminal gets
away by paying a fine. These punishments, says the
report, are incommensurate with the gravity of the
crime.

The report says that Prosecutor Office members
criminally assisted people involved in trafficking and
frontier guards accepted bribes to facilitate their
movement.

The government failed to investigate and institute
criminal cases against those officials involved in
trafficking, says the report.

Investigative Journalists NGO head Edik Baghdasarian
said in an RFE/RL interview that he possesses
information reported by victims of trafficking
themselves that some workers of the Prosecutor Office
accepted bribes from pimps in Dubai.

In particular, Baghdasarian claims that Prosecutor's
office worker Arestakes Yeremian is involved in this
business.

But Yeremian denied the accusations in a RFE/RL talk.

Chairman of the Intergovernmental Anti-Trafficking
Commission Valery Mkrtumian admits that Armenia's
appearance on the "watch list" is a retrogression for
the country.

Regarding the involvement of officials in this
business, he said: "There are different sources. We
can form a certain opinion based on information
provided by NGOs or other organizations. But we do not
know any name of an official involved or assisting in
this crime." END TEXT.

17. Published in The Daily Star (www.dailystar.com.lb) on
Tuesday, June 7:

TITLE: Yushchenko puts energy exports and visas on
agenda for Turkey visit

BEGIN TEXT: Kiev: Ukrainian President Viktor
Yushchenko said Monday that freeing up the visa regime
and greater energy cooperation between Ukraine and
Turkey would be high on the agenda for his visit to
Turkey where he was due to arrive later in the day.

"We are ready to seriously review our visa regime,
including with Turkey," Yushchenko was quoted as
telling the Turkish media through his press service.

Yushchenko was due to leave for Turkey on a three-day
trip to Ankara and Istanbul, where he was to meet with
his counterpart Ahmet Necdet Sezer and Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan as well as local business leaders.

Ukraine earlier this year withdrew visa requirements
for European Union passport holders, and Yushchenko
said Kiev was considering similar measures for other
countries.

"In parallel, we have to answer the question of
security against international terrorism, the narcotics
trade and human trafficking," he said. This is why I
am eagerly awaiting discussions with the Turkish side
about a reciprocal liberalization of the visa regime."
Cooperation in the energy sector is another priority
item in talks between the two countries, which both
have large portions of the Black Sea coastline.
Ukraine, on the sea's northern coast, hopes to supply
electricity exports to energy-hungry Turkey in the
south.

"We are ready to present a project for electricity
exports," Yushchenko said. Turkey, for its part, could
ensure oil and gas transport to Ukraine from
"alternative regions," he said. Currently, Ukraine
receives most of its oil and gas from Russia and
Turkmenistan.

Ukraine is also interested in boosting Turkish
investment, which now funds some 331 businesses in the
ex-Soviet republic. The two sides will also discuss
cooperating in Iraq reconstruction projects, Yushchenko
said.

Yushchenko and his wife Kateryna were to spend Monday
and Tuesday in Ankara and Wednesday in Istanbul. END
TEXT.

18. Reported in Cumhuriyet on Tuesday, June 7:

BEGIN TEXT: According to the UN, around 2 million
people live as refugees around the world.

Reporting from a refugee conference in Antalya, the
daily wrote that each year 1 million people emigrate
through illegal means because of economic, organized
crime-related reasons and regional wars, political
chaos and conflicts.

According to UN figures, each refugee pays
approximately $3500 to organizers and thus the total
figure reaches about $9billion.

The daily wrote that Turkey has been a destination
country for illegal immigration and human trafficking.
The daily also wrote that reps from 16 countries
attended the meeting in Antalya and it was stated that
Turkey in the past was a transit country.

Omer Aydin, Deputy Department Head of Smuggling and
Organized Crime, TNP, who hosted the conference, said,
"International organized crime rings are organizing the
refuge smuggling that stems from reasons such as
economic, social and political (hardships) with (hopes
of) finding a job and applying for asylum. END TEXT.

19. Reported by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty on Tuesday,
June 7:

TITLE: Ukraine's Yushchenko In Turkey

BEGIN TEXT: 7 June 2005-Ukrainian President Viktor
Yushchenko is in Ankara for talks today with Turkey's
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and parliament speaker
Bulent Arinc.

Yushchenko met with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
shortly after arriving late on 6 June for the three-day
official visit. There were few immediate details of
their meeting.

Before leaving Ukraine, Yushchenko had said he expects
to review visa requirements with Turkey during his
visit. Ukraine earlier this year withdrew visa
requirements for European Union passport holders and
Yushchenko said he is considering similar measures for
other countries.

Agreements involving the fight against terrorism,
drugs, and human trafficking are expected to be signed
during the visit. END TEXT.

20. Published by Zaman on Wednesday, June 8:

TITLE: Turkey Determined to Prevent Human Trafficking

BEGIN TEXT: Turkey has been elevated to a category
along with countries that show intensive effort to
eliminate human trafficking according to the U.S. State
Department Human Trafficking Report for 2005, issued on
June 3.

In a release by the U.S. State Department on the report
issued on June 3, 2005, it stated that although Turkey
has not yet met all the minimum standards on this
issue, it has been involved in intensive efforts toward
this end. Turkey was elevated to Tier 2. In the 2004
report, Turkey was in Tier 2, Watch List.
In this group there are countries which do not meet all
the minimum standards in eliminating human trafficking,
but which show major effort in this field, as well as
countries where the number of human trafficking victims
increased significantly or a country where there has
been a drop in human trafficking or a country makes
commitments about the developments to be recorded in
the future. END TEXT.

21. Published in Radikal on Wednesday, June 8:
TITLE: Human Traffickers to Be Sorry
BEGIN TEXT: Turkey has been elevated to a category
along with countries that show intensive effort to
eliminate human trafficking according to the U.S. State
Department Human Trafficking Report for 2005, issued on
June 3.

In a release by the U.S. State Department, it was
stated that in 2004, Turkey was in Tier 2 Watch List
and that as a result of its intensive work in the fight
against human trafficking, it has been elevated to the
next group.

The U.S. has shown the Hotline 157, which was
inaugurated for helping human trafficking victims, as a
major step taken for this end. END TEXT.

22. Published by Kiev Interfax-Ukraine on Tuesday, June 7:

TITLE: Ukraine, Turkey Sign Cooperation Agreements

BEGIN FBIS-TRANSLATED TEXT: Ukraine and Turkey have
signed cooperation agreements in science and
technology, the energy sector and railway
transportation during the official visit of Ukrainian
President Viktor Yushchenko to Turkey. They also
signed an agreement on readmission.

[Passage omitted: who signed the agreements]

The Ukrainian State Committee for Nuclear Regulation
and the Turkish state agency for nuclear energy signed
a memorandum of understanding on technical cooperation
and exchange of nuclear regulation information. The
memorandum was signed by Ukrainian Foreign Minister
Borys Tarasyuk. END FBIS-TRANSLATED TEXT.

23. Reported by Anadolu Ajansi on Tuesday, June 7:

TITLE: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT ''TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS
REPORT'' -TURKEY UPGRADED
BEGIN TEXT: ANKARA (A.A) - 07.06.2005 - Turkey was
upgraded to the category of ''countries that make
significant efforts to combat human smuggling'',
according to U.S. State Department Trafficking in
Persons Report.
Turkish MFA said that in the report which was issued on
June 3rd, 2005, Turkey was upgraded to the ''Second
Group'' which expends intensive efforts on this issue
even if it has not yet fully complied with the minimum
standards to combat human trafficking.
Under the ''2004 U.S. Human Trafficking and Victims
Law'' which the State Department presented to the
Congress, Turkey had been included in ''second Group-
Follow Up List,'' which was added to the report as
fourth category.
The Turkish MFA announcement said Turkey was upgraded
to a higher group due to its efforts to combat human
trafficking in the past year. END TEXT.
24. Reported by Anadolu Ajansi on Wednesday, June 8:
BEGIN TEXT: Jandarma captured 53 illegal immigrants
who wanted to cross the border in the Buyuk Altiagac
village of Meric, Edirne.

They were on a minibus with the license plate 34 BV
4521. The 27 illegal immigrants were from Pakistan,
Iraq, Mauritania and Palestine.

Meanwhile, 26 people were captured in the Seren Village
of Meric. They were from Mauritania, Somali,
Palestine, Tunus and Algeria.
V.A. was sent to the prosecutor for "human
trafficking." A total of 53 illegal immigrants were
sent to the Edirne Police for deportation. END TEXT.

25. Published by Aksam on Saturday, June 4:
TITLE: "BAD REPORT FROM THE U.S. ON TURKEY"

BEGIN TEXT: In the U.S. State Department's Human
Trafficking Report it was stated that Turkey was a
transit and destination country in the women and
children trafficking in particular for sexual
exploitation.

The Department issued its 5th report. The report on
2005 noted that some women and children were kidnapped
for being forced into labor. Turkey was on Tier 2
Watch List. It was stated, "The GOT does not fully
implement the minimum standards to eliminate human
trafficking but it shows serious effort." END TEXT.

26. Published in Cumhuriyet on Wednesday, June 8:

TITLE: WOMEN WHO ARE IGNORED

BEGIN TEXT: A "Women Trafficking: A Serious Human
Rights Violation" conference was held in Trabzon with
contributions from the EU Commission. It was stressed
that the ultimate solution to the problem was the fight
against poverty.

Liza Pate, the representative from the EU Commission
Turkey delegation, address the conference at the Grand
Zorlu Hotel. Pate noted that although Turkey recorded
progress recently, there were still some shortcomings.

Pate said, "When one looks at the various source,
transit or destination countries where there is in
human trafficking, one sees that in most of the cases
major organized crime networks and other illegal
organizations were involved." Pate stated that in
order to prevent this, victims should be given
sufficient protection and assistance and that all types
of sexual violence should be defined as crime and there
should be judicial cooperation.

Aspa Plakantonaki, Greece Project Coordinator for
Medecins Du Monde, said that many people disappeared in
towns in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as former
Soviet Republics, and added, "These disappearances were
neither because of an illness (epidemic?), nor a war.
They became the victims of human trafficking. What is
most bothersome is the fact that this man-made disaster
can be preventable. But unfortunately the world is
ignoring these women."

Nazan Sati, representative of the International Blue
Crescent Humanitarian Assistance and Development
Foundation, said that they produced emergency
humanitarian assistance, as well as projects on social
and economic development, on improvements, education
and health. She noted that they implemented them at
national and international level.

Journalist Ahmet Sefik Mollamehmetoglu stressed that at
the root of the human trafficking and immigrant
smuggling problems lays the unequal world system. He
said, "All these economic, social, cultural and
historical reasons lead to human trafficking and
immigrant smuggling. As long as these reasons continue
to exists, so will these violations." END TEXT.

27. Published in Milliyet on Saturday, June 4:

TITLE: "PROSTITUTION IGNORED IN RETURN FOR BRIBES"

BEGIN TEXT: The U.S. Administration noted that Turkey
was both a transit and a destination country in women
and children trafficking. It noted that along with
those who arrive from the former Soviet Republic,
Turkish citizens, too, were kidnapped for sexual
exploitation or forced employment.
In the most recent State Department Human Trafficking
report the U.S. listed Turkey among Tier 2 countries
that do not meet minimum necessary standards to prevent
human trafficking. The report also noted that the GOT
showed significant effort to meet these standards. It
emphasized that there was progress in training security
forces and on automatic deportation of those who were
smuggled into Turkey.

In the U.S. report it was also stated that there were
increasing data that Turkish citizens (too) were
kidnapped in the country for forced labor or sexual
exploitation.

The report pointed to the fact that most of the women
and children brought to Turkey were from Moldova,
Ukraine, Russia, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Georgia,
Romania, Kazakhstan and Belarus.

The report noted that no Turkish official was detained
or investigated in 2004 for human trafficking.

It stated, "There have been reports that officials in
charge of law enforcement were permitting illegal
prostitution in return for bribes." END TEXT.

28. Published by Radikal on Monday, June 13:

TITLE: The Hotline that Saves Women from the Hands of
Dealers: 157

BEGIN TEXT: The 157 hotline established by the IOM to
save the victims of human trafficking has begun to
produce early results.

A Moldavian victim was saved when she called the
hotline from a hotel room in Antalya. She also made
her dealer to be captured.

Until now the IOM worked with the MFA and the Interior
Ministry but from now on it will seek the support of
NGOs nationwide.

Marielle Sander Lindstrom, the IOM Turkey Mission
Chief, explained to "Radikal" the early results from a
week-old 157 hotline.

She noted that Ukraine, Moldova and Turkey were
prominent countries in human trafficking. She said
that the 157 hotline would resolve this traffic among
the three countries.

She noted that the Moldavian woman who called the
hotline from an Antalya hotel, made the police
encounter another woman as well when they walked into
her room. She said, "We learned that the other woman
was not a victim but a dealer. Unfortunately being a
dealer becomes more common among women. Women are
deceiving other women and our job becomes more
difficult. We both save the victims and make dealers
get captured. When an information comes to 157
hotline, immediately 155 police hotline is activated.
Police go to the site. The Moldavian victim currently
is in the shelter in Istanbul. The woman dealer is in
jail."

Turkey became a full member of IOM in November 2004.
The IOM is impressed with the Turkish authorities'
efforts to determine and help victims of human
trafficking. But it cannot tell how many victims of
human trafficking exist in Turkey.

The Turkish security forces determined 262 victims of
trafficking, including 239 foreigners, in 2004.

She pointed to the fact that the fight against dealers
got more intense this year. She added that IOM reps in
Ukraine, Moldova and Turkey got together with NGOs with
the inauguration of the 157 hotline and began a joint
struggle.

Media ads have a very special place in this fight.
With the help of a 30 second ad in Russian on
television broadcast in Moldova, both the assistance in
Turkey and the support line in Moldova will be
introduced. END TEXT.

29. Published by Milliyet on Monday, June 13:
TITLE: Princess in Ankara

BEGIN TEXT: After 71 years a member of the prominent
Swedish Royal family will visit Turkey. Swedish Crown
Princess Victoria will give messages of support to
children, women and human rights.

Victoria Ingrid Alice Desiree, the first princess for
whom a special law was adopted in order for her to
assume the throne after her father King Carl 16 of
Sweden, will arrive in Turkey today for a two-day
official visit.

Victoria will attend a dinner hosted by Prime Minister
Erdogan and participate in programs that her country
supports such as improving the situation of women and
children, as well as improving human rights.

Princess Victoria will present funds raised by Swedish
companies doing business in Turkey, to the UNICEF
Turkey representative at the Swedish National Day
reception this evening.

Princess Victoria will present scholarships to two
Turkish students for them to study human rights law in
Sweden tomorrow morning. Scholarships will be given
for the first time in the memory of Anna Lindh, who was
known for her support for Turkey's EU membership during
her tenure as the Foreign Minister from 1998 to 2003,
when she was assassinated.

At the ceremony for the scholarship, information will
be provided on the women's shelter to serve human
trafficking victims that opened in Ankara with Sweden's
contributions.

Princess Victoria's visit will be the first Swedish
Royal Family visit in 71 years. There has been
intensive diplomatic traffic between the governments of
the two countries. Her grandfather King Gustav Adolf
visited Turkey 71 yeas ago as a crown prince and posed
to photographers with Ataturk. Now Princess Victoria
will give a similar pose with Prime Minister Erdogan.

Princess Victoria is known to be the first princess to
prove to the world that gender equality is valid for
assuming the throne as well.

The 1000-year-old Swedish Royal Family had declared
only boys as crown princes in the last 300 years. With
a constitutional amendment when Victoria was two, the
rule was changed and the eldest child, without gender
discrimination, was allowed to assume the throne.

Victoria, who was born in 1977, is the eldest of the
three children of the King. With the help of the
amendment, Victoria had the right to assume the throne
before her brother.

The Princess studied at state schools in Sweden. She
also studied at Yale University in the U.S.

Princess Victoria will also become the commander-in-
chief of the Swedish army when she assumes the throne.
The world was interested in her when she received basic
military training for three weeks in 2003. Swedish
public opinion is divided over whether Princess
Victoria should marry Daniel Westling, a sports
trainer. They have been together for three years. END
TEXT.

MCELDOWNEY

© Scoop Media