

Currently released so far... 51122 / 251,287
Articles
Brazil
Sri Lanka
United Kingdom
Sweden
00. Editorial
United States
Latin America
Egypt
Jordan
Yemen
Thailand
Browse latest releases
2010/12/01
2010/12/02
2010/12/03
2010/12/04
2010/12/05
2010/12/06
2010/12/07
2010/12/08
2010/12/09
2010/12/10
2010/12/11
2010/12/12
2010/12/13
2010/12/14
2010/12/15
2010/12/16
2010/12/17
2010/12/18
2010/12/19
2010/12/20
2010/12/21
2010/12/22
2010/12/23
2010/12/24
2010/12/25
2010/12/26
2010/12/27
2010/12/28
2010/12/29
2010/12/30
2011/01/01
2011/01/02
2011/01/04
2011/01/05
2011/01/07
2011/01/09
2011/01/11
2011/01/12
2011/01/13
2011/01/14
2011/01/15
2011/01/16
2011/01/17
2011/01/18
2011/01/19
2011/01/20
2011/01/21
2011/01/22
2011/01/23
2011/01/24
2011/01/25
2011/01/26
2011/01/27
2011/01/28
2011/01/29
2011/01/30
2011/01/31
2011/02/01
2011/02/02
2011/02/03
2011/02/04
2011/02/05
2011/02/06
2011/02/07
2011/02/08
2011/02/09
2011/02/10
2011/02/11
2011/02/12
2011/02/13
2011/02/14
2011/02/15
2011/02/16
2011/02/17
2011/02/18
2011/02/19
2011/02/20
2011/02/21
2011/02/22
2011/02/23
2011/02/24
2011/02/25
2011/02/26
2011/02/27
2011/02/28
2011/03/01
2011/03/02
2011/03/03
2011/03/04
2011/03/05
2011/03/06
2011/03/07
2011/03/08
2011/03/09
2011/03/10
2011/03/11
2011/03/13
2011/03/14
2011/03/15
2011/03/16
2011/03/17
2011/03/18
2011/03/19
2011/03/20
2011/03/21
2011/03/22
2011/03/23
2011/03/24
2011/03/25
2011/03/26
2011/03/27
2011/03/28
2011/03/29
2011/03/30
2011/03/31
2011/04/01
2011/04/02
2011/04/03
2011/04/04
2011/04/05
2011/04/06
2011/04/07
2011/04/08
2011/04/09
2011/04/10
2011/04/11
2011/04/12
2011/04/13
2011/04/14
2011/04/15
2011/04/16
2011/04/17
2011/04/18
2011/04/19
2011/04/20
2011/04/21
2011/04/22
2011/04/23
2011/04/24
2011/04/25
2011/04/26
2011/04/27
2011/04/28
2011/04/29
2011/04/30
2011/05/01
2011/05/02
2011/05/03
2011/05/04
2011/05/05
2011/05/06
2011/05/07
2011/05/08
2011/05/09
2011/05/10
2011/05/11
2011/05/12
2011/05/13
2011/05/14
2011/05/15
2011/05/16
2011/05/17
2011/05/18
2011/05/19
2011/05/20
2011/05/21
2011/05/22
2011/05/23
2011/05/24
2011/05/25
2011/05/26
2011/05/27
2011/05/28
2011/05/29
2011/05/30
2011/05/31
2011/06/01
2011/06/02
2011/06/03
2011/06/04
2011/06/05
2011/06/06
2011/06/07
2011/06/08
2011/06/09
2011/06/10
2011/06/11
2011/06/12
2011/06/13
2011/06/14
2011/06/15
2011/06/16
2011/06/17
2011/06/18
2011/06/19
2011/06/20
2011/06/21
2011/06/22
2011/06/23
2011/06/24
2011/06/25
2011/06/26
2011/06/27
2011/06/28
2011/06/29
2011/06/30
2011/07/01
2011/07/02
2011/07/04
2011/07/05
2011/07/06
2011/07/07
2011/07/08
2011/07/10
2011/07/11
2011/07/12
2011/07/13
2011/07/14
2011/07/15
2011/07/16
2011/07/17
2011/07/18
2011/07/19
2011/07/20
2011/07/21
2011/07/22
2011/07/23
2011/07/25
2011/07/27
2011/07/28
2011/07/29
2011/07/31
2011/08/01
2011/08/02
2011/08/03
2011/08/05
2011/08/06
2011/08/07
2011/08/08
2011/08/09
2011/08/10
2011/08/11
2011/08/12
2011/08/13
2011/08/15
2011/08/16
2011/08/17
2011/08/18
2011/08/19
2011/08/21
2011/08/22
2011/08/23
2011/08/24
Browse by creation date
Browse by origin
Embassy Athens
Embassy Asuncion
Embassy Astana
Embassy Asmara
Embassy Ashgabat
Embassy Apia
Embassy Antananarivo
Embassy Ankara
Embassy Amman
Embassy Algiers
Embassy Addis Ababa
Embassy Accra
Embassy Abuja
Embassy Abu Dhabi
Embassy Abidjan
Consulate Auckland
Consulate Amsterdam
Consulate Alexandria
Consulate Adana
American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
Embasy Bonn
Embassy Bujumbura
Embassy Buenos Aires
Embassy Budapest
Embassy Bucharest
Embassy Brussels
Embassy Bridgetown
Embassy Brazzaville
Embassy Bratislava
Embassy Brasilia
Embassy Bogota
Embassy Bishkek
Embassy Bern
Embassy Berlin
Embassy Belmopan
Embassy Belgrade
Embassy Beirut
Embassy Beijing
Embassy Banjul
Embassy Bangui
Embassy Bangkok
Embassy Bandar Seri Begawan
Embassy Bamako
Embassy Baku
Embassy Baghdad
Consulate Belfast
Consulate Barcelona
Embassy Cotonou
Embassy Copenhagen
Embassy Conakry
Embassy Colombo
Embassy Chisinau
Embassy Caracas
Embassy Canberra
Embassy Cairo
Consulate Curacao
Consulate Ciudad Juarez
Consulate Chiang Mai
Consulate Chennai
Consulate Chengdu
Consulate Casablanca
Consulate Cape Town
Consulate Calgary
Embassy Dushanbe
Embassy Dublin
Embassy Doha
Embassy Djibouti
Embassy Dili
Embassy Dhaka
Embassy Dar Es Salaam
Embassy Damascus
Embassy Dakar
DIR FSINFATC
Consulate Dusseldorf
Consulate Durban
Consulate Dubai
Consulate Dhahran
Embassy Guatemala
Embassy Grenada
Embassy Georgetown
Embassy Gaborone
Consulate Guayaquil
Consulate Guangzhou
Consulate Guadalajara
Embassy Helsinki
Embassy Harare
Embassy Hanoi
Consulate Hong Kong
Consulate Ho Chi Minh City
Consulate Hermosillo
Consulate Hamilton
Consulate Hamburg
Consulate Halifax
Embassy Kyiv
Embassy Kuwait
Embassy Kuala Lumpur
Embassy Kolonia
Embassy Kinshasa
Embassy Kingston
Embassy Kigali
Embassy Khartoum
Embassy Kathmandu
Embassy Kampala
Embassy Kabul
Consulate Krakow
Consulate Kolkata
Consulate Karachi
Embassy Luxembourg
Embassy Lusaka
Embassy Luanda
Embassy London
Embassy Lome
Embassy Ljubljana
Embassy Lisbon
Embassy Lima
Embassy Lilongwe
Embassy Libreville
Embassy La Paz
Consulate Leipzig
Consulate Lahore
Consulate Lagos
Mission USOSCE
Mission USNATO
Mission UNESCO
Mission Geneva
Embassy Muscat
Embassy Moscow
Embassy Montevideo
Embassy Monrovia
Embassy Mogadishu
Embassy Minsk
Embassy Mexico
Embassy Mbabane
Embassy Maseru
Embassy Maputo
Embassy Manila
Embassy Manama
Embassy Managua
Embassy Malabo
Embassy Madrid
Consulate Munich
Consulate Mumbai
Consulate Montreal
Consulate Monterrey
Consulate Milan
Consulate Merida
Consulate Melbourne
Consulate Matamoros
Consulate Marseille
Embassy Nouakchott
Embassy Nicosia
Embassy Niamey
Embassy New Delhi
Embassy Ndjamena
Embassy Nassau
Embassy Nairobi
Consulate Nuevo Laredo
Consulate Naples
Consulate Naha
Consulate Nagoya
Embassy Pristina
Embassy Pretoria
Embassy Praia
Embassy Prague
Embassy Port Of Spain
Embassy Port Moresby
Embassy Port Louis
Embassy Port Au Prince
Embassy Podgorica
Embassy Phnom Penh
Embassy Paris
Embassy Paramaribo
Embassy Panama
Consulate Peshawar
REO Hillah
REO Basrah
Embassy Rome
Embassy Riyadh
Embassy Riga
Embassy Reykjavik
Embassy Rangoon
Embassy Rabat
Consulate Rio De Janeiro
Consulate Recife
Secretary of State
Embassy Suva
Embassy Stockholm
Embassy Sofia
Embassy Skopje
Embassy Singapore
Embassy Seoul
Embassy Sarajevo
Embassy Santo Domingo
Embassy Santiago
Embassy Sanaa
Embassy San Salvador
Embassy San Jose
Consulate Surabaya
Consulate Strasbourg
Consulate St Petersburg
Consulate Shenyang
Consulate Shanghai
Consulate Sapporo
Consulate Sao Paulo
Embassy Tunis
Embassy Tripoli
Embassy Tokyo
Embassy Tirana
Embassy The Hague
Embassy Tel Aviv
Embassy Tehran
Embassy Tegucigalpa
Embassy Tbilisi
Embassy Tashkent
Embassy Tallinn
Consulate Toronto
Consulate Tijuana
Consulate Thessaloniki
USUN New York
USMISSION USTR GENEVA
USEU Brussels
US Office Almaty
US Mission Geneva
US Mission CD Geneva
US Interests Section Havana
US Delegation, Secretary
UNVIE
UN Rome
Embassy Ulaanbaatar
Embassy Vilnius
Embassy Vientiane
Embassy Vienna
Embassy Vatican
Embassy Valletta
Consulate Vladivostok
Consulate Vancouver
Browse by tag
AMGT
ASEC
AEMR
AR
APECO
AU
AORC
ADANA
AJ
AF
AFIN
AMED
AS
AM
ABLD
AFFAIRS
AMB
APER
ACOA
AND
AA
AE
AADP
AID
AO
AL
AG
AORD
ADM
AINF
AINT
ASEAN
AORG
ABT
APEC
AY
ASUP
ARF
AGOA
AVIAN
ATRN
ANET
AGIT
ASECVE
ABUD
AODE
ALOW
ADB
AN
ADPM
ASPA
ARABL
AFSN
AZ
AC
AIAG
AFSI
ASCE
ASIG
ACABQ
ADIP
AFGHANISTAN
AROC
ADCO
ACOTA
ANARCHISTS
AMEDCASCKFLO
AK
ARABBL
ASCH
ANTITERRORISM
AGRICULTURE
AOCR
ARR
ASSEMBLY
AORCYM
AFPK
ACKM
AGMT
AEC
APRC
AIN
AFPREL
ASFC
ASECTH
AFSA
AINR
AOPC
AFAF
AFARI
AX
ASECAF
ASECAFIN
AT
AFZAL
APCS
AGAO
AIT
ARCH
AEMRASECCASCKFLOMARRPRELPINRAMGTJMXL
AMEX
ARM
AQ
ATFN
AMBASSADOR
AORCD
AVIATION
ARAS
AINFCY
ACBAQ
AOPR
AREP
AOIC
ASEX
ASEK
AER
AGR
AMCT
AVERY
APR
AEMRS
AFU
AMG
ATPDEA
ASECKFRDCVISKIRFPHUMSMIGEG
AORL
ACS
AMCHAMS
AECL
AUC
ACAO
BA
BR
BB
BG
BEXP
BY
BRUSSELS
BU
BD
BTIO
BK
BL
BE
BMGT
BO
BM
BX
BN
BWC
BBSR
BTT
BC
BH
BILAT
BUSH
BHUM
BT
BTC
BMENA
BOND
BAIO
BP
BF
BRPA
BURNS
BUT
BBG
BCW
BOEHNER
BOL
BASHAR
BIDEN
BFIN
BZ
BEXPC
BTIU
CPAS
CA
CASC
CS
CBW
CIDA
CO
CODEL
CI
CROS
CU
CH
CWC
CMGT
CVIS
CDG
CTR
CG
CF
CHIEF
CJAN
CBSA
CE
CY
CB
CW
CM
CHR
CD
COE
CV
COUNTER
CT
CN
CPUOS
CTERR
CVR
CVPR
CDC
COUNTRY
CLEARANCE
CONS
COM
CACS
CR
CONTROLS
CAN
CACM
COMMERCE
CAMBODIA
CFIS
COUNTERTERRORISM
CITES
CONDOLEEZZA
CZ
CTBT
CEN
CLINTON
CFED
CARC
CTM
CARICOM
CSW
CICTE
CYPRUS
CBE
CMGMT
CARSON
CWCM
CIVS
COUNTRYCLEARANCE
CENTCOM
CAPC
COPUOS
CKGR
CITEL
CQ
CITT
CIC
CARIB
CVIC
CAFTA
CVISU
CDB
CEDAW
CNC
CJUS
COMMAND
CENTER
COL
CAJC
CONSULAR
CLMT
CBC
CIA
CNARC
CIS
CEUDA
CHINA
CAC
CL
DR
DJ
DEMOCRATIC
DEMARCHE
DOMESTIC
DISENGAGEMENT
DB
DA
DHS
DAO
DCM
DAVID
DO
DEAX
DEFENSE
DEA
DTRO
DPRK
DOC
DTRA
DK
DAC
DOD
DRL
DRC
DCG
DE
DOT
DEPT
DOE
DS
DKEM
ECON
ETTC
EFIS
ETRD
EC
EMIN
EAGR
EAID
EFIN
EUN
ECIN
EG
EWWT
EINV
ENRG
ELAB
EPET
EIND
EN
EAIR
EUMEM
ECPS
ES
EI
ELTN
ET
EZ
EU
ER
EINT
ENGR
ECONOMIC
ENIV
EFTA
ETRN
EMS
EUREM
EPA
ESTH
EEB
EET
ENV
EAG
EXIM
ECTRD
ELNT
ENVIRONMENT
ECA
EAP
EINDIR
ETR
ECONOMY
ETRC
ELECTIONS
EICN
EXPORT
EARG
EGHG
EID
ETRO
EINF
EAIDHO
ECIP
EENV
EURM
EPEC
ERNG
ENERG
EIAD
EXBS
ED
EREL
ELAM
EK
EWT
ENGRD
EDEV
ECE
ENGY
EXIMOPIC
ETRDEC
ECCT
EUR
ENRGPARMOTRASENVKGHGPGOVECONTSPLEAID
EFI
ECOSOC
EXTERNAL
ESCAP
ETCC
EENG
ERA
ENRD
ECLAC
ETRAD
EBRD
ENVR
ECONENRG
ELTNSNAR
ELAP
EPIT
EDUC
EAIDXMXAXBXFFR
EETC
EIVN
EDRC
EGOV
ETRA
EAIDRW
ETRDEINVECINPGOVCS
ESA
ETRDGK
ENVI
ELN
EPRT
EPTED
ERTD
EUM
EAIDS
EFINECONEAIDUNGAGM
EDU
EV
EAIDAF
EDA
EPREL
EINVEFIN
EAGER
ETMIN
EUCOM
ECCP
EIDN
EINVKSCA
ENNP
EFINECONCS
ETC
EAIRASECCASCID
EINN
ETRP
ECONOMICS
ENERGY
EIAR
EINDETRD
ECONEFIN
EURN
ETRDEINVTINTCS
EFIM
ETIO
EATO
EIPR
EINVETC
ETTD
ETDR
EIQ
ECONCS
ENRGIZ
EAIG
ENTG
EUC
ERD
EINVECONSENVCSJA
EEPET
EUNCH
ESENV
ECINECONCS
ETRDECONWTOCS
ECUN
FR
FI
FOREIGN
FARM
FIR
FAO
FK
FARC
FAS
FJ
FREEDOM
FAC
FINANCE
FBI
FTAA
FM
FCS
FAA
FORCE
FDA
FTA
FT
FCSC
FMGT
FINR
FIN
FDIC
FOR
FOI
FO
FMLN
FISO
GM
GERARD
GT
GA
GG
GR
GTIP
GH
GZ
GE
GB
GY
GAZA
GJ
GEORGE
GOI
GCC
GMUS
GI
GLOBAL
GV
GC
GL
GOV
GKGIC
GF
GWI
GIPNC
GUTIERREZ
GTMO
GANGS
GAERC
GUILLERMO
GASPAR
HR
HA
HYMPSK
HO
HK
HUMAN
HU
HN
HHS
HURI
HUD
HUMRIT
HUMANITARIAN
HUMANR
HL
HSTC
HILLARY
HCOPIL
HADLEY
HOURANI
HI
HUM
HEBRON
HUMOR
IZ
IN
IAEA
IS
IMO
ILO
IR
IC
IT
ITU
ID
IV
IMF
IBRD
IWC
ICAO
ICRC
INF
IO
IPR
ISO
IK
ISRAELI
IQ
ICES
IDB
INFLUENZA
IRAQI
ISCON
IGAD
IRAN
ITALY
IRAQ
ICTY
ICTR
ITPGOV
ITALIAN
IQNV
IADB
INTERNAL
INMARSAT
IRDB
ILC
INCB
INRB
ICJ
ISRAEL
INR
IEA
ISPA
ICCAT
IOM
ITRD
IHO
IL
IFAD
ITRA
IDLI
ISCA
INL
INRA
INTELSAT
ISAF
ISPL
IRS
IEF
ITER
INDO
IIP
IND
IEFIN
IACI
IAHRC
INNP
IA
INTERPOL
IFIN
ISSUES
IZPREL
IRAJ
IF
ITPHUM
ITA
IP
IRPE
IDA
ISLAMISTS
ITF
INRO
IBET
IDP
IRC
KMDR
KPAO
KOMC
KNNP
KFLO
KDEM
KSUM
KIPR
KFLU
KE
KCRM
KJUS
KAWC
KZ
KSCA
KDRG
KCOR
KGHG
KPAL
KTIP
KMCA
KCRS
KPKO
KOLY
KRVC
KVPR
KG
KWBG
KTER
KS
KN
KSPR
KWMN
KV
KTFN
KFRD
KU
KSTC
KSTH
KISL
KGIC
KSEP
KFIN
KTEX
KTIA
KUNR
KCMR
KCIP
KMOC
KTDB
KBIO
KBCT
KMPI
KSAF
KACT
KFEM
KPRV
KPWR
KIRC
KCFE
KRIM
KHIV
KHLS
KVIR
KNNNP
KCEM
KLIG
KIRF
KNUP
KSAC
KNUC
KPGOV
KTDD
KIDE
KOMS
KLFU
KNNC
KMFO
KSEO
KJRE
KJUST
KMRS
KSRE
KGIT
KPIR
KPOA
KUWAIT
KIVP
KICC
KSCS
KPOL
KSEAO
KRCM
KSCI
KNAP
KGLB
KICA
KCUL
KPRM
KFSC
KQ
KPOP
KPFO
KPALAOIS
KREC
KBWG
KR
KTTB
KNAR
KCOM
KESS
KINR
KOCI
KWN
KCSY
KREL
KTBT
KFTN
KW
KRFD
KFLOA
KHDP
KNEP
KIND
KHUM
KSKN
KOMO
KDRL
KTFIN
KSOC
KPO
KGIV
KSTCPL
KSI
KPRP
KFPC
KNNB
KNDP
KICCPUR
KFRDCVISCMGTCASCKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG
KDMR
KFCE
KIMMITT
KMCC
KMNP
KSEC
KOMCSG
KGCC
KRAD
KCRP
KAUST
KWAWC
KCHG
KRDP
KPAS
KTIAPARM
KPAOPREL
KWGB
KIRP
KMIG
KLAB
KSEI
KHSA
KNPP
KPAONZ
KWWW
KGHA
KY
KCRIM
KCRCM
KGCN
KPLS
KIIP
KPAOY
KTRD
KTAO
KJU
KBTS
KWAC
KFIU
KNNO
KPAI
KILS
KPA
KRCS
KWBGSY
KNPPIS
KNNPMNUC
KNPT
KERG
KLTN
KPREL
KTLA
KO
KAWK
KVRP
KAID
KX
KENV
KWCI
KNPR
KCFC
KNEI
KFTFN
KTFM
KCERS
KDEMAF
KMEPI
KEMS
KBTR
KEDU
KIRL
KNNR
KMPT
KPDD
KPIN
KDEV
KFRP
KTBD
KMSG
KWWMN
KWBC
KA
KOM
KWNM
KFRDKIRFCVISCMGTKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG
KRGY
KNNF
KICR
KIFR
KWMNCS
KPAK
KDDG
KCGC
KID
KNSD
KMPF
KWMM
MARR
MX
MASS
MOPS
MNUC
MCAP
MTCRE
MRCRE
MTRE
MASC
MY
MK
MG
MU
MILI
MO
MZ
MEPP
MCC
MEDIA
MOPPS
MI
MAS
MW
MP
MEPN
MV
MD
MR
MC
MCA
MT
MIL
MARITIME
MOPSGRPARM
MAAR
MOOPS
ML
MA
MN
MNUCPTEREZ
MTCR
MUNC
MPOS
MONUC
MGMT
MURRAY
MACP
MINUSTAH
MCCONNELL
MGT
MNUR
MF
MEPI
MOHAMMAD
MAR
MAPP
MNU
MFA
MTS
MLS
MEETINGS
MERCOSUR
MED
MNVC
MIK
MBM
MILITARY
MAPS
MARAD
MDC
MACEDONIA
MASSMNUC
MUCN
MQADHAFI
MPS
NZ
NATO
NI
NO
NU
NG
NL
NPT
NS
NA
NP
NASA
NSF
NEA
NANCY
NSG
NRR
NATIONAL
NMNUC
NC
NSC
NAS
NARC
NELSON
NATEU
NDP
NIH
NK
NIPP
NR
NERG
NSSP
NE
NTDB
NT
NEGROPONTE
NGO
NATOIRAQ
NAR
NZUS
NCCC
NH
NAFTA
NEW
NRG
NUIN
NOVO
NATOPREL
NV
NICHOLAS
NPA
NSFO
NW
NORAD
NPG
NOAA
OPRC
OPDC
OTRA
OECD
OVIP
OREP
ODC
OIIP
OAS
OSCE
OPIC
OMS
OFDP
OFDA
OEXC
OPCW
OIE
OSCI
OM
OPAD
ODPC
OIC
ODIP
OPPI
ORA
OCEA
OREG
OMIG
OFFICIALS
OSAC
OEXP
OPEC
OFPD
OAU
OCII
OIL
OVIPPRELUNGANU
OSHA
OPCD
OPCR
OF
OFDPQIS
OSIC
OHUM
OTR
OBSP
OGAC
OESC
OVP
ON
OES
OTAR
OCS
PREL
PGOV
PARM
PINR
PHUM
PM
PREF
PTER
PK
PINS
PBIO
PHSA
PE
PBTS
PA
PL
POL
PAK
POV
POLITICS
POLICY
PO
PRELTBIOBA
PKO
PIN
PNAT
PU
PGOVPREL
PALESTINIAN
PTERPGOV
PELOSI
PAS
PP
PTEL
PROP
PRELAF
PRHUM
PRE
PUNE
PIRF
PVOV
PROG
PERSONS
PROV
PKK
PRGOV
PH
PLAB
PDEM
PCI
PRL
PRM
PINSO
PERM
PETR
PPAO
PERL
PBS
PETERS
PRELBR
PCON
POLITICAL
PMIL
POLM
PKPA
PNUM
PLO
PTERM
PJUS
PARMP
PNIR
PHUMKPAL
PG
PREZ
PGIC
PAO
PROTECTION
PRELPK
PGOVENRG
PATTY
PSOC
PARTIES
PGOVEAIDUKNOSWGMHUCANLLHFRSPITNZ
PMIG
PAIGH
PARK
PETER
PHUS
PKPO
PGOVECON
POUS
PMAR
PWBG
PAR
PGOVGM
PHUH
PTE
PY
POLUN
PDOV
PGOVSOCI
PGOVPM
PRELEVU
PGOR
PBTSRU
PHUMA
PHUMR
PPD
PGV
PRAM
PARMS
PINL
PSI
PKPAL
PPA
PTERE
PGOF
PINO
PREO
PHAS
PAC
PRESL
PORG
PS
PGVO
PKFK
PSOE
PEPR
PINT
PRELP
PREFA
PNG
PTBS
PFOR
PGOVLO
PHUMBA
PREK
PHJM
POLINT
PGOVE
PHALANAGE
PARTY
PECON
PEACE
PROCESS
PLN
PEDRO
PF
PGPV
PCUL
PGGV
PSA
PGOVSMIGKCRMKWMNPHUMCVISKFRDCA
PGIV
PHUMPREL
POGOV
PEL
PBT
PAMQ
PINF
PSEPC
POSTS
PAHO
PHUMPGOV
PGOC
PNR
RS
RP
RU
RW
RFE
RCMP
RIGHTSPOLMIL
REFORM
RO
ROW
ROBERT
REACTION
REPORT
REGION
RELATIONS
RAY
ROBERTG
RIGHTS
RM
RATIFICATION
RREL
RBI
RICE
ROOD
REL
RODHAM
RGY
RUEHZO
RELIGIOUS
RELFREE
RUEUN
RELAM
RSP
RF
REO
REGIONAL
RUPREL
RI
REMON
RPEL
RSO
SCUL
SENV
SOCI
SZ
SNAR
SO
SP
SU
SY
SI
SMIG
SYR
SA
SW
SF
SR
SYRIA
SNARM
START
SPECIALIST
SG
SNIG
SCI
SGWI
SE
SIPDIS
SANC
SELAB
SN
SETTLEMENTS
SCIENCE
SENVENV
SENS
SPCE
SPAS
SECURITY
SENC
SOCIETY
SOSI
SENVEAGREAIDTBIOECONSOCIXR
SEN
SPECI
ST
SL
SENVCASCEAIDID
SC
SECRETARY
STR
SNA
SOCIS
SADC
SEP
SK
SHUM
SYAI
SMIL
STEPHEN
SNRV
SKCA
SENSITIVE
SECI
SCUD
SCRM
SGNV
SECTOR
SAARC
SENVSXE
SWMN
STEINBERG
SOPN
SOCR
SCRS
SWE
SARS
SNARIZ
SUDAN
SENVQGR
SAN
SM
SFNV
SSA
SPCVIS
SOFA
SCULKPAOECONTU
SENVKGHG
SHI
SEVN
SH
SNARCS
SNARN
SIPRS
TBIO
TW
TRGY
TSPA
TU
TPHY
TI
TX
TH
TIP
TSPL
TNGD
TZ
TS
TC
TK
TURKEY
TERRORISM
TPSL
TINT
TRSY
TERFIN
TPP
TT
TECHNOLOGY
TE
TAGS
TRAFFICKING
TJ
TN
TO
TD
TP
TREATY
TR
TA
TIO
TECH
TF
TRAD
TNDG
TWI
TPSA
TWL
TAUSCHER
TRBY
TL
TV
THPY
TSPAM
TREL
TRT
TNAR
TFIN
TWCH
THOMMA
THOMAS
TERROR
TRY
TBID
UK
UNESCO
UNSC
UNGA
UN
US
UZ
USEU
UG
UP
UNAUS
UNMIK
USTR
UY
USUN
UNEP
UNDC
UV
UNPUOS
UNSCR
USAID
UNODC
UNRCR
UNHCR
UNDP
UNCRIME
UA
UNHRC
UNRWA
UNO
UNCND
UNCHR
USAU
UNICEF
USPS
UNOMIG
UNESCOSCULPRELPHUMKPALCUIRXFVEKV
UR
UNFICYP
UNCITRAL
UNAMA
UNVIE
USTDA
USNC
UNCSD
USCC
UNEF
UNGAPL
USSC
UNMIC
UNTAC
UNCLASSIFIED
USDA
UNCTAD
USGS
UNFPA
UNSE
USOAS
UE
UAE
UNCHS
UNDESCO
UNC
UNSCS
UKXG
UNGACG
UNHR
UNBRO
UNCHC
UNFCYP
UNIDROIT
WHTI
WIPO
WTRO
WHO
WTO
WMO
WFP
WEET
WS
WE
WA
WHA
WBG
WILLIAM
WI
WSIS
WCL
WEBZ
WZ
WW
WWBG
WMD
WWT
WMN
WWARD
WITH
WTRQ
WCO
WEU
WB
WBEG
Browse by classification
Community resources
courage is contagious
Viewing cable 08ANKARA2194, TURKEY/TIP: STRONG COMMITMENT, UNEVEN
If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs
Understanding cables
Every cable message consists of three parts:
- The top box shows each cables unique reference number, when and by whom it originally was sent, and what its initial classification was.
- The middle box contains the header information that is associated with the cable. It includes information about the receiver(s) as well as a general subject.
- The bottom box presents the body of the cable. The opening can contain a more specific subject, references to other cables (browse by origin to find them) or additional comment. This is followed by the main contents of the cable: a summary, a collection of specific topics and a comment section.
Discussing cables
If you find meaningful or important information in a cable, please link directly to its unique reference number. Linking to a specific paragraph in the body of a cable is also possible by copying the appropriate link (to be found at theparagraph symbol). Please mark messages for social networking services like Twitter with the hash tags #cablegate and a hash containing the reference ID e.g. #08ANKARA2194.
Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin |
---|---|---|---|---|
08ANKARA2194 | 2008-12-31 14:05 | 2011-08-24 01:00 | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | Embassy Ankara |
VZCZCXRO7945
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN
RUEHLZ RUEHNP RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHAK #2194/01 3661405
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 311405Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8350
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEATRS/TREASURY DEPT WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAHLC/HOMELAND SECURITY CENTER WASHDC PRIORITY
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 06 ANKARA 002194
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR G/TIP, EUR/SE, EUR/PGI, USAID
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KTIP ELAB KCRM KFRD KWMN PGOV PHUM PREF SMIG
SUBJECT: TURKEY/TIP: STRONG COMMITMENT, UNEVEN
IMPLEMENTATION REPORTED TO VISITING G/TIP OFFICIAL
REF: A. ANKARA 1709
¶B. ANKARA 1956
¶1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for internet
distribution.
¶2. (SBU) SUMMARY: GOT, NGO, and IOM experts discussed with
visiting G/TIP Foreign Affairs Officer Jennifer Donnelly
December 15-17 the considerable progress Turkey has made in
the fight against trafficking in persons (TIP) since the
issue first appeared on the GOT agenda in 2002:
-- A national action plan was adopted;
-- Forced prostitution and TIP were criminalized specifically
with penalties of eight to twelve years;
-- An interagency taskforce was convened;
-- A victim referral mechanism was developed in partnership
with IOM and NGOs;
-- Two dedicated TIP shelters and a helpline were established;
-- International cooperation was strengthened;
-- Extensive and ongoing training for law enforcement and
judicial personnel have been provided.
Yet recent progress has been uneven and GOT efforts are
characterized by key NGO/IGO contacts as stalled or even
backsliding: a second national action plan remains unsigned;
the shelters face a continued struggle to secure long-term,
dedicated funding; and the overall number of victims
identified and assisted has dropped for a second year in a
row. The GOT has taken measures to reduce demand for
commercial sex acts by closing some legal brothels, but the
impact on Turkish women in prostitution may be negative, as
more prostitutes are forced to work on the street, subject to
abuse, including from local police. More positively, GOT
officials provided data reporting an increased number of
police officials prosecuted for participating in TIP,
underscoring the GOT's zero tolerance for official
involvement in TIP. The GOT has also implemented a second
EU-funded nationwide public awareness campaign and continued
to strengthen international anti-TIP cooperation. END
SUMMARY.
¶3. (SBU) G/TIP Foreign Affairs Officer Jennifer Donnelly
visited Istanbul (December 15-16) and Ankara (December 16-17)
for meetings with senior Turkish National Police (TNP),
Jandarma, MFA and Ministry of Justice (MOJ) officials, the
IOM Turkey Chief of Mission, and the International Blue
Crescent Secretary General. Donnelly met with the
presidents, administrators and staff of the two NGOs
operating Turkey's two dedicated TIP shelters, in Ankara and
Istanbul, and visited the Istanbul shelter, where she had the
opportunity to meet with two assisted victims. Donnelly also
discussed prostitution in Turkey with current and former sex
workers and activists seeking to advance the rights and
protections of Turkish sex workers.
SECOND NATIONAL ACTION PLAN STILL AWAITS
SIGNATURE, BUT IMPLEMENTATION BEGINS
----------------------------------------
¶4. (SBU) MFA Acting Depart Head for Asylum and Illegal
Migration Nilufer Kaygisiz gave an overview of GOT efforts to
combat TIP. MFA leads the interagency TIP taskforce, which
has grown to include dozens of agencies, municipalities and
NGO participants. The taskforce now meets bi-monthly. GOT
agencies have approved a second National Action Plan (NAP),
which is presently awaiting the Interior Minister's signature
before it can be forwarded to the PM. According to Kaygisiz,
the delay (nearly one year) is a function of competing
demands on the minister; there is no political-level
objection to the NAP's content. Kaygisiz emphasized that
implementation of the second NAP, with the support of the
EU's two-year, three million Euro anti-TIP project, has
already begun. She outlined its six sectoral plans:
-- Policy and Strategy;
-- Awareness Raising;
-- Expanded Victim Support and Assistance;
-- Legal and Administrative Revisions;
-- Institutional Cooperation;
-- Technical, Equipment and Quality Control.
¶5. (SBU) A new public awareness campaign was launched in June
(ref A), with a welcome focus on trafficking for labor
exploitation. Donnelly noted a poster in the Istanbul
airport with the "157" help-line number advertised
ANKARA 00002194 002 OF 006
prominently. The GOT also adopted in 2008 a witness
protection law. While not TIP-specific, the measure,
guaranteeing the confidentiality and security of witnesses,
should improve the rate of victim cooperation in TIP
prosecutions. The GOT has also commissioned a report on
demand for trafficking victims in Turkey. The taskforce is
expecting the report imminently; it should enhance, in
particular, understanding of domestic trafficking in Turkey
and how labor exploitation contributes to TIP. (NOTE: To
date, the GOT's efforts to combat TIP have focused on
international trafficking for sexual exploitation. END
NOTE.) In addition, the taskforce has also commissioned an
outside report, expected January 2009, on how to improve
institutional cooperation within Turkey in the fight against
TIP. The report will advise how the taskforce can improve
efficiency, how law enforcement agencies and units can
improve communication, and how NGO cooperation can be
strengthened further. (NOTE: Donnelly was scheduled to meet
with Middle East Technical University Professor Dr. Ayse
Ayata, who prepared the demand report, and is, we believe,
also leading the institutional assessment. Ayata canceled
due to illness; post TIP officer will follow-up and report
septel. END NOTE.)
STILL NO SOLUTION ON SHELTER FUNDING
------------------------------------
¶6. (SBU) Kaygisiz, like her GOT counterparts, lamented that
the GOT has not reached a long-term, sustainable solution on
funding for the two NGO-run anti-trafficking shelters. As
reported in ref B, the EU funds supporting the shelters
presently will expire in May for the Ankara shelter and
September for the Istanbul shelter. Donnelly's GOT
interlocutors understood that the uncertainty facing the
shelters is an obstacle to Turkey's meeting the minimum
requirements for the elimination of TIP and reaching Tier 1.
To underscore its commitment to reaching a solution, MFA has
pledged $20,000 per shelter per year for three years, but
that is barely ten percent of the shelters' annual budgets.
Donnelly's GOT contacts said they are working hard to lobby
political contacts to make sure a solution is reached as soon
as possible. TNP Foreigners' Department Chief Mehmet
Terzioglu was largely alone, however, in expressing
confidence that a solution would be reached soon.
¶7. (SBU) Human Resource Development Foundation (HRDF)
President Turgut Tokus and Executive Director Berna Eren,
whose NGO runs the Istanbul shelter, told Donnelly that the
GOT's failure to provide consistent funding for the shelters
is the main problem in the effort against TIP. "We are going
in reverse on this issue and the government needs a warning,"
Tokus said. "There is no interest from the political side."
Following an audit of city finances, the Istanbul governor
informed the municipality that its provision of free rent to
the TIP shelter is unauthorized, despite the signing in 2003
of a protocol between HRDF and the city (witnessed by then-FM
Gul and former Secretary Powell). Eren explained that HRDF
learned in June of new legislation prohibiting the
municipality from funding NGOs of any stripe. HRDF has
maintained that the protocol is legally binding, but the
governor has retorted that the municipal council never
approved it. While the municipality is obliged legally to
provide shelter and care to people in need, the governor has
said each victim would have to apply individually for
assistance. (NOTE: The current Istanbul governor is
reportedly being reassigned as Turkey's Ambassador to the
"Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus." His successor may
take a more magnanimous view toward the protocol. In a
meeting with the Ambassador December 30, State Minister for
Women's and Children's Affairs Nimet Cubukcu promised to
raise the issue with the governor. END NOTE.)
¶8. (SBU) Tokus emphasized that money is not the problem.
While Turkey has a challenging budget environment, the
Istanbul shelter's rental costs, which HRDF has been assuming
since June, are a mere $35,000 out of an annual shelter
budget of only $180,000. The GOT's mentality is the problem,
Tokus maintained. Asked why this mentality has persisted
after five years of good progress on TIP, Tokus posited that
the bureaucrats might believe the problem is solved. The
numbers of victims assisted at the Istanbul shelter are down
substantially over the past two years. Indeed, Donnelly
visited the Istanbul shelter where, in addition to a
Russian-speaking caretaker, two trafficking victims were
resident: one minor trafficked from Uzbekistan for sexual
exploitation and an Indonesian woman trafficked through Dubai
ANKARA 00002194 003 OF 006
for domestic servitude. Including its current residents,
only six minors have stayed at the shelter in the last three
years. According to Eren, GOT victim identification
shortcomings have reduced the number of victims referred to
the shelters (see paragraph 17).
¶9. (SBU) According to Gulsen Ulker Al, President of the
Foundation for Women's Solidarity (FWS), which runs the
Ankara shelter, and her team of administrators, the Ankara
shelter faces similar problems. While the Ankara
municipality provides the building free of charge and pays
for gas (the city had paid for water too, but FWS has had to
assume that charge recently, with no explanation), and the
Ministry of Health free medical care, FWS does not know from
where it will receive its operating funds after May 2009. It
too fears that it will be more difficult to secure funding
when the shelter is operating way below capacity, caring for
only one guest presently when it is equipped to care for
twelve at a time. The numbers of victims assisted by FWS
this year will be barely one third the number in 2006, but
the operating expenses -- mostly staff costs -- are largely
fixed. Asked why the number of victims assisted is down, FWS
staff surmised that changes in the traffickers' methodologies
-- such as paying trafficking victims small amounts of money
-- have resulted in fewer identifications. Terzioglu
suggested effective law enforcement has also deterred
traffickers, resulting in fewer victims trafficked; Istanbul
prosecutor Faruk Kurtoglu opined that enhanced media focus on
TIP has helped reduce the number of women victimized.
¶10. (SBU) The GOT is emphasizing its commitment to ensuring
victim protection by working to establish a new trafficking
shelter in Antalya, a trafficking hotspot. Terzioglu told
Donnelly that the shelter should be open before local
elections in March 2009. The Antalya mayor, he said, is
expected to win re-election, but he does not wish to leave it
to chance. Tokus told us that he traveled recently to
Antalya with Terzioglu, whom he praised as hard-working and
sincere, to lobby the mayor and that he has offered to train
an Antalya-based NGO to operate the new shelter. While the
utility of a new shelter is questionable given the existing
shelters' spare capacity, an Antalya-based shelter should
reduce the amount of time before a victim rescued in southern
Turkey can be screened and transferred out of a detention
facility and into a shelter.
"157" HELPLINE OPERATION TO BE TRANSFERRED
TO TNP; TURKEY TO SIGN COE ANTI-TIP CONVENTION?
--------------------------------------------- --
¶11. (SBU) Kaygisiz and Terzioglu, along with IOM Chief of
Mission Maurizio Busatti and Senior Researcher Meltem Ersoy,
confirmed that measures are in place to transfer the
operation of the "157" helpline from IOM to TNP. As reported
in ref B, with the EU guaranteeing funding through the end of
2009, it is unlikely TNP will take the helpline over earlier.
The Ministry of Finance has already guaranteed funding for
the helpline and Terzioglu sought to assure Donnelly that
there will be money in his budget in 2010; he has already
begun interviewing staff. IOM is working with TNP to assure
that the handover does not result in service gaps or weaken
the helpline's effectiveness.
¶12. (SBU) Another issue high on the taskforce's agenda is
signing the Council Of Europe anti-TIP convention. Kaygisiz
predicted that Turkey will sign the convention "very soon."
The GOT wants to make sure Turkey is prepared to ratify and
implement the convention's provisions upon signing. (NOTE:
While Turkey supports the convention's compensation mechanism
in principle, it has had some concerns about it being abused
by source countries. Nevertheless, GOT officials have told
us the convention could provide a means through which source
countries and Turkey reconcile their respective definitions
of who is a victim; Turkey maintains that its law tracks the
Palermo Convention definition closely (see ref B). END NOTE.)
INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION DEEPENS;
NUMBER OF CENTRAL ASIAN VICTIMS GROWING
---------------------------------------
¶13. (SBU) GOT contacts reported continued efforts to
strengthen international cooperation with source countries.
Turkey has signed bilateral protocols with Georgia, Moldova,
Ukraine, Belarus and Kyrgyzstan. Kaygisiz said improving
these protocols is a key element of the second NAP, though
she emphasized that bilateral cooperation is already strong.
The GOT regularly exchanges expert delegations with
ANKARA 00002194 004 OF 006
neighboring countries, such as Georgia and Moldova; a
Moldovan consular delegation visited three weeks ago and TIP
was on the agenda. Istanbul Foreigners' Police Unit Head
Ilhami Huner, however, said cooperation with Moldovan and
Belarussian authorities is not as strong as with Ukraine, and
contended that Russia appeared to care little about the
problem.
¶14. (SBU) A growing trend toward victims originating from the
Turkic Republics of Central Asia and Azerbaijan has prompted
the GOT to plan to propose new protocols with, in particular,
Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. (Terzioglu opined
that this trend may be the result of Turkey having recently
waived the tourist visa requirements for Azerbaijani and
Central Asian nationals.) During a meeting with sex workers
and advocates, one sex worker told Donnelly that she had
witnessed Iraqi refugees beginning to be trafficked to Turkey
for sexual exploitation, but GOT contacts did not confirm
this. The sex workers also observed a growing number of
Azerbaijani and Armenian women in prostitution. Istanbul
contacts maintained that Azerbaijanis are not usually
trafficked, but rather arrive and operate independently, as
they know the language. Eren told Donnelly that, while her
NGO contacts in Armenia maintain a high number of Armenian
women trafficked to Turkey, HRDF has only seen five Armenian
victims in the last three years. She considered the number
of Armenians to be comparatively small.
¶15. (SBU) The GOT has also remained engaged multilaterally,
elevating TIP awareness through its past chairmanship of the
Budapest Process working group on TIP and of the Black Sea
Economic Cooperation (BSEC) Organization. MFA and MOJ
contacts informed Donnelly that Turkey, with IOM support,
hosted an international legal assistance cooperation
conference with source country representatives in November in
Istanbul (meeting report e-mailed to G/TIP), while the Prime
Ministry Women's Directorate just hosted a regional NGO TIP
conference in Ankara.
ARRESTING TRAFFICKERS, BUT GAPS REMAIN IN
VICTIM IDENTIFICATION AND PROTECTION PROCEDURES
--------------------------------------------- --
¶16. (SBU) Law enforcement contacts stressed to Donnelly their
commitment to the fight against trafficking. Jandarma
Organized Crime and Smuggling Department Commander Ferhat
Konya described the challenges his agency, which has
responsibility for 92 percent of Turkish territory, including
the land border with Iraq and part of Iran, faces in the
fight against TIP. He stressed his agency's continuing
efforts to raise awareness of TIP and the expanded training
of Jandarma personnel throughout the agency's 14 regional
commands. He lauded the success Jandarma has had
apprehending traffickers and praised cooperation with TNP,
IOM and the NGOs. In the first half of 2008, Jandarma
disrupted 21 trafficking incidents (eight tied to organized
crime), apprehended 117 traffickers, and saved 77 trafficking
victims. Konya described in detail the Jandarma's rescue in
October 2008 of 26 victims from Turkmenistan, Georgia,
Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, trafficked by an
illegal employment agency to Ankara (where they were held in
safe houses in the immediate neighborhood of the U.S.
Embassy) for domestic servitude. Konya shared with Donnelly
surveillance photographs and other materials from the file
that illustrated the complexity of and role of technology in
a successful anti-trafficking operation. (NOTE: Donnelly did
not have an opportunity to discuss in detail the status of
these particular victims with the TNP Foreigners' Police,
which would have had responsibility for them once they were
rescued and transferred by Jandarma; it is unclear why the
victims do not appear to have been transferred ultimately to
the shelters. Post TIP officer will follow-up. END NOTE.)
¶17. (SBU) Terzioglu discussed elements of Turkey's referral
mechanism with Donnelly. The TNP Foreigners' Department, he
noted, is authorized to determine who is a victim. Jandarma
transfers foreigners to the TNP per a long-standing MOU.
While one agency (or department within TNP) might identify a
certain number of victims in an operation, the TNP
Foreigners' Department could identify another, perhaps lower
number. TNP works in partnership with IOM and NGOs on victim
identification and referral, and with IOM on repatriation of
victims (where there is a bilateral protocol), but
cooperation with NGOs and IOM on victim identification is
inconsistent, according to NGO and IOM interlocutors. HRDF
staff said significant gaps remain in the referral mechanism;
ANKARA 00002194 005 OF 006
they were sure some victims are not being identified and thus
deported. Indeed, Busatti noted that IOM data on victims in
source countries, e.g., Ukraine and Moldova, does not match
Turkish figures. Moreover, non-identified victims who are
re-trafficked to Turkey are much less likely to be identified
by the TNP if screened a second time.
¶18. (SBU) Terzioglu said that if a victim wishes to remain in
Turkey for an extended period of time, she may be issued a
humanitarian visa (valid for six months and renewable for
another six). But FWS Ankara shelter staff informed Donnelly
that humanitarian visas are, in fact, often difficult to
secure, as the GOT requires the applicant to have proof of
employment in Turkey. One FWS staffer asked how a
trafficking victim without an existing visa could hope to
have secured employment in Turkey. Moreover, how long and
where potential victims are held before they are screened and
while they provide testimony to law enforcement remains
uncertain. The two shelters are often far from a police or
Jandarma operation and Turkey lacks facilities to house
irregular migrants. In one case, Konya told Donnelly the
Jandarma housed a trafficking victim in its own offices.
Many victims thus may be providing evidence to law
enforcement under duress, before they have a chance to
recover from their trauma, and may be less likely to
cooperate against their exploiters. Busatti said
establishing non-detention facilities for potential victims
would also help address victim identification problems.
Huner explained that the Istanbul Foreigners' Police housed
potential victims in police foreigners' guesthouses/detention
centers while awaiting their status. He underscored the
Istanbul Foreigners' Police Unit's commitment to victim
sensitivity, noting that it has 211 officers, of which 100
are trained in anti-trafficking issues. Huner explained that
six female officers are designated to interact with female
trafficking victims and that he would like to hire more
female officers to further assist.
PUTTING TRAFFICKERS, INCLUDING
PUBLIC SERVANTS, BEHIND BARS
------------------------------
¶19. (SBU) MOJ Judges Gokcen Turker and Tufhan Turan recounted
the steps Turkey has taken to expand training of judges and
prosecutors and to develop a sound legal framework to fight
TIP. The key element is the 2006 amendment of Turkish Penal
Code Article 80, which added forced prostitution to the
statute criminalizing TIP with penalties of 8-12 years plus
fines. Turker informed Donnelly that, due to the severe
penalties, Article 80 convictions remain difficult to secure,
particularly without victim testimony in court. The
testimony victims provide to law enforcement may be enough to
bust a trafficking ring, but it is not always enough to
secure an Article 80 conviction. The newly-adopted witness
protection law (see paragraph 5), she believes, will help
encourage more victims to testify against suspected
traffickers. So far this year, two Article 80 convictions
have been handed down. Each suspect was sentenced to eight
years and $75,000 in fines. Turker emphasized, however, that
there are other routes to securing a conviction; a Turkish
judge retains the discretion to use another article, such as
the forced prostitution Article 227, to convict a suspect if
the judge believes an Article 80 conviction might not be
achievable. The penalties are less, however, averaging about
three years.
¶20. (SBU) Turker provided information on the convictions in
June 2008 of a police officer and police clerk (these appear
to be the same individuals noted in post's 2008 TIP Report
submission) under the statutes for mediating prostitution,
assisting an illegal organization, and sharing state secrets.
Both officials are in prison. Turker informed us that the
MOJ is developing a database to compile statistics on public
servants prosecuted and convicted for trafficking offenses.
Terzioglu later handed Donnelly data (in Turkish; post will
translate) specifying the convictions and sentences of 38
public servant traffickers in 2008, underscoring that the
police will not tolerate official involvement in trafficking.
MEASURES TO CURTAIL LEGAL PROSTITUTION
MAY EXPOSE PROSTITUTES TO GREATER ABUSE
---------------------------------------
¶21. (SBU) Donnelly met in Istanbul with Ayse Tukrukcu, a
former sex worker and parliamentary candidate, and, in
Ankara, with Oksam Oztok, President of the Association to
Support Human Life, an NGO advocating for rights of
ANKARA 00002194 006 OF 006
transgender people and prostitutes. Oztok was joined by two
current sex workers and other staff and associates. While
concerned about the plight of trafficked women in Turkey,
these sex workers and advocates emphasized the need for
protection, fair housing and respect for Turkey's
prostitutes, who are often abused by residents, clients and
police. The ruling Justice and Development Party, which
governs Istanbul, Ankara and most other large cities,
disapproves of brothels and has closed many. Only about two
thousand sex workers remain in Turkey's remaining legal
brothels, while some 35,000 have petitioned to be registered
to work legally as prostitutes. A legal brothel may offer
some protection -- HIV testing and the opportunity to collect
a social security pension upon retirement -- but the
situation is hardly less exploitative. Many legal sex
workers find themselves indebted to the brothel owner for
most of their careers and, because brothel owners often pay
social security only occasionally, many legal sex workers do
not have the luxury of a secure retirement. Some of these
legal sex workers may also have been sold by their families
into this career. Foreign women are not permitted to work in
legal brothels, and our contacts did not suggest legal
brothels contribute substantially to TIP. Most foreign
trafficked women work in hotels or in rented houses where
they are "bought" or "rented" by wealthier Turkish clients.
Foreign women rarely work on Turkish streets, though one sex
worker observed that some work along Turkish highways,
catering to truck drivers. Istanbul is Turkey's largest
prostitution center, followed by Antalya, Mugla (Bodrum) and
Trabzon. Ankara has comparatively few prostitutes.
¶22. (U) Donnelly cleared this message.
Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at
http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Turk ey
Jeffrey