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Viewing cable 06ANKARA1812, TIP IN TURKEY: TURKISH MEDIA ATTENTION, March 16-

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
06ANKARA1812 2006-04-05 12:35 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED Embassy Ankara
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 09 ANKARA 001812 
 
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, March 16- 
31, 2006 
 
1.  In response to G/TIP inquiries, national and 
international media sources published the following articles 
about TIP in Turkey.  Text of articles originally published 
in Turkish is provided through unofficial Embassy 
translation. 
 
2.  Reported by Anadolu Ajansi on Friday, March 17: 
 
TITLE:  Ten foreign women captured in a prostitution 
operation in Silivri deported 
 
BEGIN TEXT:  The Istanbul Provincial Jandarma Command 
received a tip that a hotel in a district of Silivri was 
used for prostitution.  The Jandarma raided the hotel. 
 
During the operation, the Jandarma noticed that behind the 
hotel's restaurant there was a hidden room under the stairs 
where women who were forced into prostitution were kept. 
When the Jandarma went into the quarters, they noticed a 
door that looked like a wardrobe door.  When they opened the 
door, they found six foreign women. 
 
While searching the rooms, the Jandarma captured four more 
foreign women. 
 
The women were sent to a hospital where it was determined 
that two of them carried Hepatitis C and one of them the 
Hepatitis B virus. 
 
The ten women were deported.  Those forcing them into 
prostitution were set free by the judiciary, to be tried on 
release.  END TEXT. 
 
3.  Reported by FOCUS News Agency on Saturday, March 18: 
 
TITLE:  Second informal meeting of interior ministers in 
October in Turkey 
 
BEGIN TEXT:  The second informal meeting between Southeast 
Balkans Interior Ministers will be held in Turkey most 
probably in October, Turkish Interior Minister Abdulkadir 
Aksu stated in Varna today, Radio FOCUS-Varna reporter 
reports. 
 
The Turkish Minister said that they had some very fruitful 
conversations at today's first meeting, which will greatly 
help overcome problems connected to human trafficking and 
drugs in Southeastern Europe. 
 
Bulgarian Interior Minister Rumen Petkov announced that in 
April or May, Bulgaria will host the 25th Police Conference 
in which Interpol lecturers will also take part.  He pointed 
out Bulgaria will also host the meeting of Southeastern 
Europe Police Force Directors in June.  The purpose of this 
meeting is to improve the synchrony in information exchange 
and to form joint police teams for emergency cases, Minister 
Petkov explained.  He added services to combat organized 
crime from neighboring countries would participate in 
tactical exercises connected to the fight against organized 
crime in November in Bulgaria.  END TEXT. 
 
4.  Reported by Turkish Daily News on Monday, March 20: 
 
TITLE:  Turkey to host next ministerial Balkan meeting 
against terrorism 
 
BEGIN TEXT:  Interior ministers of eight southeast European 
countries have agreed to combine their efforts "to prevent 
acts of terrorism in the region."  The ministers also agreed 
to hold regular meetings and set the next such round of 
talks for October in Turkey, Turkish Interior Minister 
Abdulkadir Aksu has announced. 
 
Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, 
Macedonia, Romania and Turkey "expressed their readiness not 
to permit any terrorist acts and to oppose organized crime 
and corruption," said a joint declaration by the eight 
ministers and a representative of Montenegro meeting in 
Bulgaria's coastal town of Varna. 
 
"We once more voiced our determination in the struggle 
against global terrorism, smuggling and organized crime," 
Aksu was quoted as saying by the Anatolia news agency at a 
joint press conference late on Saturday, while also noting 
that the meeting took place in "an extremely positive 
atmosphere." 
 
Aksu said such meetings strengthened regional security and 
stability.  "Taking into consideration the importance of the 
issues, we offered to hold the next meeting in Turkey.  We 
are extremely happy that our offer was accepted." 
 
Earlier, in an opening address, Bulgarian President Georgy 
Parvanov said that drug trafficking routes through the 
Balkans and corruption "cause the image of the region and 
its investment climate to deteriorate." 
 
"The countries will improve their border control services to 
prevent trafficking in persons, as well as the smuggling of 
drugs, counterfeit currency and arms.  At the same time, 
visa systems have to be eased to permit the free movement of 
people," Bulgarian Interior Minister Rumen Petkov was quoted 
as saying by Agence France-Presse (AFP). 
 
"One objective is to prevent criminal elements from the 
Balkans from passing into the European Union," said Greek 
Interior Minister Vyron Polydoras. 
 
The eight ministers were ready to harmonize their 
legislation, share police training practices and set up 
mechanisms for information exchanges, he added. 
 
Another meeting of Balkan police officials was set for June 
in Bulgaria.  It will focus on coordinating the exchange of 
preventive information and will set up joint action teams. 
 
In November, the countries' security service units will also 
meet in Bulgaria for joint training in combating organized 
crime, to be taught by U.S. instructors, Petkov noted.  END 
TEXT. 
 
5.  Published by Hurriyet on Monday, March 20: 
 
TITLE:  Secret conversations 
 
BEGIN TEXT:  Hurriyet Ankara was able to get scandalous 
telephone conversation transcripts of Suna S., who has 
allegedly worked as a pimp for ten years.  The police 
conducted an operation against her.  Here are the minutes of 
her scandalous phone conversations with her clients: 
 
ST (Male):  Our H. likes them.  I am very close to him.  I 
was at his place yesterday. 
 
Suna S:  Our former Chief? 
 
ST:  Yes.  He tours all the night clubs. 
 
Suna:  I know H. very well.  He is a good person. 
 
ST:  He is not good at all.  He f. and leaves everybody. 
 
Suna:  Good for him. 
 
ST:  Everybody and even A. earns money because of him.  I am 
very close to A. as well.  If you like, I can bring A., as I 
did M., to the house. 
 
Suna:  Yes, bring her over. 
 
ST:  Sure.  Shall I also bring a skinny man who looks as 
though he has AIDS? 
 
Suna:  It does not matter (what he looks like); bring him 
over. 
 
Black Mini Fantasy 
 
CE calls Suna:  CE:  My room number is 420.  I would 
appreciate it if she could wear a long coat over her mini 
skirt.  I would also like to remind her that she should wear 
stockings and boots.  She should be tall and have a 
beautiful face.  I hope that the hotel administrators do not 
talk about this. 
 
Suna:  (Shouting at someone) Mine, the man asked for a mini 
skirt, black stockings and boots.  Put something appropriate 
on.  You will get $200 for two hours.  Plus, you will get 
the cab fare. 
 
Stop and do not talk on the phone. 
Suna talks to Esra N. about taking drugs and pills:  Suna: 
Dear, what have you done? 
 
E:  As I was buying, they said that the others bought for 
themselves and I should, too. 
 
Suna:  Never, dear.  What do they have to do with any of 
this? 
E:  How many was I supposed to buy? 
 
Suna:  You will take three pills and 20-30 YTL 
(approximately 15-22 USD) worth of hashish.  Canan does not 
smoke. 
 
E:  OK.  I will see you. 
 
Suna:  Take three and definitely buy hashish as well. 
 
E:  Be quiet.  Why do you talk like this on the phone?  Are 
you crazy? 
 
Suna:  Nothing will happen.  Nothing. 
 
Not with two people. 
 
X (Female):  So they are two.  They want me to stay with two 
men? 
 
Suna:  Yes. 
 
X:  Is it an orgy?  I will not do that disgusting thing. 
 
Suna:  So what? 
 
X:  No S.  I will definitely not do that. 
 
Suna:  This is a business.  I do not understand why you will 
not do it. 
 
Find the right path. 
 
A woman called C., who decided to work as a prostitute, 
calls the pimp to tell her that she wants to work. 
Following is that conversation: 
 
C:  How are you? 
 
Suna:  I am fine.  What about you? 
 
C:  I thought about it and decided to work, no matter what. 
 
Suna:  In other words, you found the right path. 
 
I would send you secretly. 
 
Tugba:  How is your business? 
 
Suna:  Not as good as it used to be. 
 
T:  I must have left right on time. 
 
Suna:  If you are going to begin, then you must begin right 
at the right time. 
 
T:  I was wondering. 
 
Suna:  If you want a few, then I would send you secretly. 
 
T:  OK, we will talk about it. 
 
Can I pay later? 
 
An academician who called Suna explained that he had not 
been paid and asked if he could pay her next month, 
expecting she would send a woman.  They said: 
 
OG:  Mrs. Suna, I am academician M.  I used to visit you a 
lot in the past.  I am the academician.  Do you remember me? 
 
Suna:  Sure I do. 
 
OG:  I want to have a fling tonight. 
 
Suna:  Certainly. 
 
OG:  How shall we do it?  What are the prices? 
Suna:  Two hours for 270 TL (approximately 200 USD). 
 
OG:  Let me first get the money from the ATM and call you 
back. 
 
Suna:  OK. 
 
After a while he calls back.  OG:  I have a problem with 
getting the money.  Do you trust me? 
 
Suna:  I trust you, but what shall I give the girl? 
 
OG:  I will give you the money next week. 
 
Suna:  I cannot accept such a thing. 
 
OG:  OK, I understand. 
 
Suna:  Sorry. 
 
The girl is very nave, but will get used to it. 
 
Sedat:  Your nuisance is calling. 
 
Suna:  I am going to call Ali. 
 
Sedat:  I brought the girl home.  She went to see her child. 
She cried a bit.  We talked about you and I told her that 
she would get used to this. 
 
Suna:  She certainly will cry and get used to this. 
 
Sedat:  I exaggerated a bit as I praised you.  I told her 
that I would not have taken her to you if you were a bad 
woman. I told her that her father and grandfather gave her 
child a tour of the park.  I asked her to listen to you all 
the time.  I told her that if other girls ask her to do this 
or that, she should not, but listen to you.  I told her she 
would suffer if not.  I told her that I could not be her 
husband and that we were only friends. 
 
Suna:  I know.  You told her the right thing. 
 
Sedat:  She is very worried about the child.  She told me 
that she can no longer stand it.  I told her that she should 
do this since she would get used to it.  I told her that if 
she goes somewhere else, she would suffer more.  She is so 
nave.  I told her that you brought her a cell phone.  I 
also noted that you do not do this for everyone.  I told her 
that this was done because I know her.  END TEXT. 
 
6.  Reported by Radikal and Sabah on Tuesday, March 21: 
 
TITLE:  Prostitution gang under detention 
 
BEGIN TEXT:  Boys between 12-17 years of age submitted a 
petition to the Izmir Chief Public Prosecutor and complained 
that a network, with which they met on the internet, on the 
phone and during face-to-face conversations, deceived them 
and took naked pictures and films of them.  The ten gang 
members threatened the boys by saying they would show the 
pictures to their parents, and then forced them into sexual 
relationships with rich men in return for money. 
 
The prosecutor sent the petition to the Vice Squad.  The 
cell phone numbers of these people, whose names were given 
by the kids, were tapped for three months.  Last Saturday, 
the police raided the addresses of the suspects at the same 
time and detained nine people.  During searches of the 
houses and offices of the suspects, police seized many 
pornographic pictures and videos.  The suspects will be sent 
to the judicial hall today after being identified by the 
boys.  END TEXT. 
 
7.  Reported by Vatan on Wednesday, March 22: 
 
TITLE:  Send the girls, I will be careful 
BEGIN TEXT:  In an operation by the Istanbul Police called 
"Cat," 72 people, including 15 men - one who is an 
international human trafficker Ejder Toprak - and 16 women 
traffickers, were captured.  As part of the operation, 
famous shoe owner, Sinan K., too, was detained for assisting 
and sheltering the organization. 
 
The indictment against the prostitution ring also exposed 
the tragedy of women who were deceived by job offers from 
the Ukraine, Belarus, Russia and Moldova.  Gang leader Ejder 
Toprak used to buy these women for $2,000-3,000 per person, 
and then would sell them to another gang for $3,000-5,000. 
 
It was discovered that the girls were sent to Turkey by 
shadow companies established in the Commonwealth of 
Independent States to find jobs. 
 
When Toprak's phone was tapped, he was heard talking to a 
woman named Tamilia, who sells women.  The conversation went 
like this: 
 
Toprak:  Aliyona Hotel and ours are next to each other.  A 
17-year-old girl fled that place.  There are not good 
clients at Aliyona.  In Etiler, Sasha and Monikagot were 
together since there were no clients.  There are no longer 
beautiful girls like before.  It there were, we would offer 
them for $500.  In 2007, things will be hard because of the 
Schengen visa.  We need to save money from now on.  You ask 
for two girls.  Let them come and then invite me over.  Let 
me take the girls and share the money with you 50/50. 
 
Tamilia:  O.K.  I do not need ten partners. 
 
Toprak:  During a raid in Atakoy, seven women were captured. 
 
Tamilia:  Which girls were captured?  My girls are all 
accounted for. 
 
Toprak:  There was a sting.  Do not send any girls anywhere 
near Atakoy.  END TEXT. 
 
8.  Published by Vatan on Wednesday, March 22: 
 
TITLE:  I could not flee myself.  She was saved by calling 
157. 
 
BEGIN TEXT:  Valentyna Butkova (23), who was offered a job 
in Turkey, was brought from the Ukraine and was forced into 
prostitution for one month in Koycegiz, Mugla. 
 
She was saved when she called the 157 hotline. 
 
She was kept in a small place by threats.  When she 
complained, Ali A., who forced her into prostitution, was 
captured and arrested.  She said that he had forcefully kept 
two more girls, but they had escaped.  END TEXT. 
 
9.  Published by Vatan on Wednesday, March 22, and also 
reported by Sabah and Cumhuriyet on the same day: 
 
TITLE:  Deceived with a cell phone offer 
 
BEGIN TEXT:  The Izmir Vice Squad, after following suspects 
since last November, disclosed exploitation of around 1,000 
children between the ages of 12-17 in Izmir. 
 
The police teams began the investigation following a tip by 
Ugur Dundar, editor-in-chief of the "Arena" program and 
after seven families notified the prosecutor's office. 
 
The police began to tap the phones of C.G., the gang leader. 
C.G. had a tea house and did not have a criminal record. 
The police found out that he was using the web.  The police 
entered the gang's pornographic and gay websites and 
negotiated with them. 
 
The police managed to get an address for a meeting and 
raided many sites.  Along with the gang leader C.G., ten 
more people were detained during the raids.  During searches 
of the houses and offices of the suspects, police found 
around 1000 CDs and cassettes full of pornographic pictures 
of boys between 12-17 years of age. 
It was determined that the suspects met with the kids either 
on the web or on the street.  They convinced the kids to 
have their naked pictures taken in return for money or a 
cell phone.  Later, they blackmailed them into intercourse. 
END TEXT. 
 
10.  Published by Milliyet on Thursday, March 23: 
 
TITLE:  Two hundred women saved 
 
BEGIN TEXT:  In the first ten months, there were about 1000 
calls to the 157 hotline, established by the International 
Organization for Migration, with the financial support of 
the U.S. Government, to save women who were forced into 
prostitution and to prevent human trafficking. 
IOM provided assistance to approximately 200 women as part 
of the campaign called, "Have you seen my mother?" and 81 of 
these women were returned home.  Three out of four people 
who called the hotline were Turkish clients of these women. 
 
According to IOM officials, in the first six months, 735 
people called the 157 hotline.  Since the New Year, 225 more 
applications were received.  Most of the calls came from 
Istanbul, Antalya and Ankara.  In recent months, the number 
of calls regarding Moldovan women has gone up. 
 
Every three out of four calls to the hotline are clients of 
women forced into prostitution. 
 
According to IOM's phone records, callers say, "The woman 
who is with me right now has no means of communication.  She 
asked for help and said that she was forced into 
prostitution.  They took away her passport and do not allow 
her to quit.  She does not even know where we are now." 
 
Following such a call, operators who received training for 
emergencies, take the address from the man and inform either 
the police or Jandarma in that region, who then carry out a 
raid to that site.  If during that period the woman has left 
the site, then security forces keep an eye on the region for 
at least one month and when a woman is brought back, she is 
saved. 
 
After the police take their testimony, the women are sent to 
IOM shelters in Istanbul and Ankara.  Until now, the shelter 
in Istanbul has provided services to 183 women, and the 
other one in Ankara, which opened last November, has hosted 
31 women. 
 
Eighty-one of these women voluntarily wanted to return home. 
Women who are staying at the shelters suffer from stress, 
sleep and personality disorders. 
 
One of every three women is a mother. 
 
IOM's "2005:  Turkey, Human Trafficking Trends" report 
presents a scary picture on human trafficking.  The report 
notes that one of every three women is a mother.  It also 
notes that the illegal money involved in this trade is $1 
billion a year.  It also states that last year they 
identified 469 human trafficking cases, but actually this 
figure was only one-tenth of the real number. 
 
Sixty percent of these women come from Moldova and Ukraine. 
Most of them are between 19-25 years of age.  The general 
belief that these women are university graduates was wrong. 
Most of them are secondary school graduates. 
 
Women are being deceived by people they know.  While they 
earn $2 a month in their countries, they come to Turkey to 
earn at least $3000 and 94 percent of these women are forced 
into prostitution.  Most of the victims are in Istanbul, 
Antalya and Ankara. 
 
She jumped out of the window to escape 
 
Moldovan E. is a woman saved by the hotline. She arrived in 
Turkey when she was 19 and began to work in a shop.  After a 
while, she went back home to see her mother.  When she 
returned, her job had been taken over by someone else. 
Meanwhile, two of her friends, whom she met in Istanbul, 
invited her to Antalya.  When in Antalya, her two friends 
went shopping. E. stayed behind with the boyfriends of her 
friends.  They took away her passport and she was forced 
into prostitution.  A few months later, she wanted to commit 
suicide by jumping out of a fifth-story window.  IOM brought 
her mother from Moldova and medevaced her home.  E. can now 
walk with crutches.  In the picture, she is seen a few hours 
before she was returned home. 
 
Search for sponsors. 
 
The U.S. Government sponsored and the Government of Turkey 
supported the $700,000 IOM project to raise awareness about 
the effects of human trafficking on children and families. 
The Italian and Swedish governments, too, gave important 
support to the project.  But the flow of money for the 
campaign will stop in the coming months.  The IOM is looking 
for support to continue the project.  It talks to private 
and public sector institutions on the issue.  END TEXT. 
 
11.  Published by Sabah on Friday, March 24: 
 
TITLE:  Great crackdown on prostitution 
 
BEGIN TEXT:  The Vice Squad, which took massage parlors, 
saunas and beauty salons under surveillance following the 
disclosure of the "Sauna Gang," carried out a series of 
operations and took administrative action against 62 
locations.  Judicial process is continuing against 152 
people.  Based on a report, nine offices were shut down in 
the first phase. 
 
The Turkish National Police Vice Squad received tips in the 
first three months of this year and carried out raids on 
some saunas, beauty and massage parlors.  They captured many 
women in inappropriate situations.  It was determined that 
more than 400 massage and beauty parlors and saunas in 
Ankara were operating for prostitution and that when they 
were shut down, they were opening again under a different 
name.  It was also determined that two of the massage 
parlors were not licensed and nine were involved in 
prostitution.  Forty-one employed unlicensed masseuses. 
Action was taken against 17 men and women for prostitution, 
and 106 women for working without the proper license. 
 
The Vice Squad carried out the second phase of operations 
against saunas.  Judicial action was taken against one for 
prostitution and against seven for employing masseuses 
without proper credentials.  The police discovered that one 
man and two women were involved in prostitution and 25 women 
were working without proper licenses. 
 
The final operation was on beauty parlors.  Police found 
that six unlicensed women were employed at three such 
places.  One beauty parlor allegedly was involved in 
prostitution.  Action was taken against one man and one 
woman for prostitution and against six unlicensed women. 
 
Following the raids, the Ankara Governor's Office Committee 
on Venereal Disease and the Fight Against Prostitution, at 
the first phase, shut down seven massage parlors, four of 
which were unlicensed, one sauna and one beauty parlor.  END 
TEXT. 
 
12.  Reported by the Turkish Daily News on Saturday, March 
25: 
 
TITLE:  Police call for expansion of power to fight 
terrorism 
 
BEGIN TEXT:  Only a day after Istanbul Police Chief 
Celalettin Cerrah called for changes in the Turkish Penal 
Code (TCK) and the Criminal Procedures Law (CMK) to ensure a 
competent fight against terrorism, police spokesman Ismail 
Caliskan revisited the matter and recommended additional 
time to keep suspects in custody when necessary, with the 
approval of courts or prosecutors. 
 
Cerrah, speaking at the "Global Terrorism and International 
Cooperation" symposium hosted by the Center of Excellence 
Defense Against Terrorism (COE-DAT), said anti-terrorism 
laws need to be separated from the TCK and the CMK. 
 
He agreed with the Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok's 
assessment that the lack of any common definition of 
terrorism was the main reason international cooperation on 
the matter was lacking. 
 
Caliskan, speaking during his weekly briefing, said they 
were studying an extension of the time suspects spend in 
custody and the right to conduct body searches and collect 
DNA samples.  He said constitutional changes to extend 
broader rights to police on these matters were possible. 
 
He also said that fingerprints and DNA samples needed to be 
collected in databanks. 
 
The police spokesman said the Turkish police department had 
adapted to the times, adding, "Police officers are now 
university graduates.  They are being educated in human 
rights.  There may have been mistakes committed in the past, 
but no one should forget the fact that those who committed 
crimes were punished.  I do not think the department will 
ever face the type of accusations it had to in the past. 
The reactions of our police officers to social disturbances 
are more scientific and controlled." 
 
International cooperation: 
 
In his speech on Thursday, Istanbul Police Chief Cerrah said 
terrorist groups had lost their main backers, noting that 
this has forced them to become involved in drugs and human 
trafficking.  "Consequently, any toleration of terrorism 
also means tolerating drugs and trade in humans," he said. 
 
"Cyberterrorism is also being supported by some countries," 
Cerrah said.  "Everyone knows that the military codes used 
by countries for their defense are in the hands of computer 
hackers.  Turkey has battled religious, ideological and 
ethnic terrorism for the past 30 years.  Its experiences 
have shown it that terrorism has no religion, ethnicity or 
ideology." 
 
He said Turkey's location has also made it into a target for 
radical fundamentalists. 
 
The Istanbul police chief said anti-terrorism did not 
necessitate the imposition of limitations on rights and 
freedoms but noted that certain limitations imposed for 
reasons of national and individual security were not 
contrary to universal values or the Constitution. 
 
Cerrah asked that the time suspects spend in custody be 
increased from two to four days, with the prosecutor's 
knowledge, and suggested that the courts be given the right 
to extend it to 15 days. 
 
He asked for one to two-day delays for informing suspects' 
families when they are in their custody, noting that in some 
circumstances family members destroyed evidence.  Among the 
other recommendations were no amnesties to terrorists, no 
court orders for seizure when terrorism cases are involved, 
a DNA and fingerprint databank and a specialized court that 
only deals with terrorism cases.  END TEXT. 
 
13.  Reported by Radikal on Tuesday, March 28: 
 
TITLE:  Sixty detained in a prostitution operation 
 
BEGIN TEXT:  Following tips from locals, the Afyon police 
conducted a "Spring Operation" in Afyon and raided 19 houses 
and offices at the same time. 
 
The Provincial police had been preparing for four months, 
under the supervision of the Governor and the prosecutor. 
The police teams raided 19 houses and offices in the city 
center at the same time yesterday around 8:00 a.m.  With 
permission obtained from the prosecutor, the police opened 
some unanswered doors by breaking them down with a sledge 
hammer.  Around 200 police seized all documents, money, 
steel cases and other goods.  Most of the raids were on 
sites on Ambaryolu Street and the Orhangazi District.  Tips 
from locals were evaluated as well.  The police took 41 
women, most of whom were foreigners, and 19 men who forced 
them into prostitution, to the police station.  Cars of 
those who were detained were searched as well.  In one of 
the raided houses, police found a secret small room where 
ten people could hide.  The police said that this place was 
prepared to hide foreign women in case of a raid.  Ismet 
Baskoy, Deputy Chief of the Provincial Police, said that 
they would continue their operations and that they might 
detain others as well.  END TEXT. 
 
14.  Reported by Hurriyet on Tuesday, March 28: 
 
TITLE:  They entered with a sledge hammer 
 
BEGIN TEXT:  Police teams wearing bullet-proof vests, after 
four months' preparation, began to raid 19 houses and 
offices at 8:00 a.m. yesterday.  Unanswered doors were 
broken by sledge hammers after getting prosecutors' orders. 
Two hundred police searched the sites.  All documents, money 
and goods were seized, and 38 women, most of whom were 
foreigners and who were forced into prostitution, were 
detained.  Sixteen men who forced the women into 
prostitution and the women were taken by buses to the police 
station.  In one of the raided houses, police found a small 
area to hide at least ten women. 
 
Hotels were raided in Urgup 
 
In an operation conducted by Nevsehir police, 29 women, 
including 21 foreigners, were captured in hotels raided in 
Urgup.  After taking their testimony, authorities took the 
women by bus to Trabzon for their deportation.  Eight 
Turkish women were released after giving their testimony. 
END TEXT. 
 
15.  Published by Sabah on Tuesday, March 28: 
 
TITLE:  Prostitution operation on houses with secret 
passages 
 
BEGIN TEXT:  The Afyon Police raided some addresses that it 
determined earlier and detained 66 people.  It also spotted 
some secret passages in the houses.  During the Spring 
Operation that the police conducted in the morning hours in 
eight districts, 28 Georgian, five Azeri and 11 Turkish 
prostitutes, plus the 22 men who were selling them, were 
detained.  Police could only enter some houses by opening 
the doors with sledge hammers.  Police found secret passages 
in some of the houses.  They also seized a steel safe kept 
in the secret quarter of one of the houses.  END TEXT. 
 
WILSON