Country of origin information report Turkey March 2009
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- [5i] (Country narratives – Turkey)
Return to contents Go to list of sources Health issues 23.78 The UNICEF report, ‘The State of the World’s Children 2008’, reported that: “In terms of deaths of under five-year olds, Turkey ranks 96th. In 1990, 82 out of 1,000 children died before that age in Turkey, but in 2006 this number fell to 26. As far as deaths of under one-year olds are concerned, the rate was 67 in a thousand, while it decreased to 24 in a thousand by 2006.” [91d] 23.79 The United Nations Children’s Fund Turkey (UNICEF), in the title page of their 2006 report, ‘Child First’, stated that: “For over fifty years the United Nation’s Children’s Fund has been contributing its international experience and resources to programmes and projects for children in Turkey. In partnership with government, civil society, the private sector, children, their families and communities, UNICEF continues to help build a society where every child benefits from good health care. Some of Turkey’s successes for children and their families include infant mortality rates reduced from 43 to 29 per thousand live births and under five mortality rates reduced from 52 to 37 per thousand and polio–free certification by the European Regional Commission for Poliomyelitis Eradication.” [91a] 23.80 In the same UNICEF 2006 report, ‘Child First’ the Routine Immunisation page noted that “Diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, tuberculosis, hepatitis B, polio and measles are potentially fatal diseases to which children are particularly vulnerable. All seven of these diseases are vaccine–preventable yet, according to the Turkey Demographic and Health Survey 2003 (TDHS), only 45% of children under five years of age — 34.4% in rural areas — received all of the necessary vaccinations before their first birthday.” [91b] See also Section 25.01 Medical Issues Mistreatment of children in detention 23.81 The US State Department (USSD) 2007 report on Human Rights Practices, published 11 March 2008, noted that “At year’s end, prosecutors had not opened a case regarding 2005 allegations that wardens at the Sincan Children’s and Youth Prison beat five inmates between 19 and 21 years old on the soles, a practice known as ‘falaka’. Following the allegations, the Ankara chief prosecutor and Forensic Medicine Institute confirmed the existence of bruises and wounds. Prosecutors had one of the five boys identify the perpetrators from a group of 45 wardens. Ozgur Karakaya one of the youths identified the six wardens but was not told their names. Human rights groups were unable to determine the status of the prosecutorial investigation at year’s end.” [5g] (Section 1c) See also Section 11 Mistreatment in Detention and section 12 Prison conditions 23.82 BIA News Center reported, in an article posted 17 November 2008, that “The eight students who are members of the High School Young Hope organization have been taken into custody for protesting Adana Governor İlhan Atış for his threats against the families of the children who participate in the activities against the state. The governor had threatened the families with canceling their green cards that enable them to receive inexpensive medical treatment. Since five of the children were younger than eighteen, the officers took them to the Juvenile Branch. The five children were released later, but the other three are still in the police station to meet with the prosecutor.” [102k] 23.83 The Hurriyet newspaper reported on 14 November 2008 that “The Diyarbakır prosecutor charges six children for attacking police with stones and Molotov cocktails as they participated in street protests during the prime minister’s visit last month. Lawyers and experts have reacted strongly to the strict penalty and have called on legal authorities to observe the rights of young people. Six young people, all around the age of 15, are facing up to 23 years in prison for participating in the street demonstrations in Diyarbakır last month. The demonstrations plagued Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s visit to the southeastern province.” [70b] 23.84 BIA News Center reported in May 2008, ‘Families Accuse Police for Torturing Their Kids’, that: “Families of the high school children who were tortured in the police station turn to the Association of Human Rights. They report the crime and the Public Prosecutor starts an investigation. According to the report by Erkan Çınar in daily Birgün, on May 8 the three children were taken inside the station forcefully and were beaten for more than an hour. Their heads were banged on the walls, their testicles were kicked and they were chocked. They were not allowed to see their families. Later they were sent to Çiğli Police Department and from there to the Department of Public Order. When they were taken to Egekent State Hospital, ice was put on their swellings and bruises.” [102e] 23.85 The European Commission 2008 Progress report on Turkey, published 5 November 2008, noted that “Despite some progress in the juvenile justice system, the number of child courts is still inadequate, there is a lack of social workers in these courts and their workload is heavy. This results in longer trials and, thus, possibly in children being deprived of their liberty for longer periods of time. There has been an increase in the number of children in detention. The conditions in detention centres need to be improved, both in terms of physical conditions and as regards the quality of the services provided. The probation system should also be improved to prevent recurrence of the offence and to support children and their families.” [71d] (p22) 23.86 The Report of the UK Border Agency Fact Finding Mission to Turkey 11 – 20 February 2008, noted that a judge from the International Affairs Department of Prisons and Detention Facilities explained that children 13-15 years old convicted of crimes were sent to one of 133 probation centres which implemented non-custodial sentences and provided social and psychological support to prisoners after conviction and to victims. Children 16-18 years old convicted of crimes were sentenced to either non–custodial or custodial according to the nature of the crime. He also explained that in Turkey all victims of crime were also supported by probation centres. Each probation centre has a protection board which consists of people from local businesses, civil society organisations, public organisations and which provides support to both victims and prisoners and provides work for them. [59] (9.13) Return to contents Go to list of sources 24 Trafficking 24.01 The US State Department (USSD) report 2007, published on 11 March 2008, noted that: “The law prohibits all forms of trafficking in persons; however, there were reports of trafficking in women and children to the country for the purpose of sexual exploitation. There were allegations that official corruption contributed to the trafficking problem… Allegations that government officials, police and Jandarma officers participated in human trafficking continued during the year. The courts initiated cases against a number of such officials, several of which were ongoing at year’s end.” [5g] (Section 5) 24.02 The European Commission 2008 Progress report on Turkey, published 5 November 2008, noted: “Progress has continued on combating trafficking in human beings. The task force on combating human trafficking was systemised and expanded to include local administrations. Collection of statistics was standardised. Some 308 traffickers were arrested in 2007. As of September 2008, 212 traffickers were arrested. The free emergency helpline and the two centres for victims of trafficking continue to operate. Further efforts were made to promote the 157 helpline. By September 2008, 98 victims had been identified, 61 of whom were returned voluntarily to their countries of origin and six of whom remain in the centres, pending procedures for their return.” [71d] (p74) 24.03 The EC 2008 Progress report also noted that “The Witness Protection Law entered into force. It protects the identity of victims of human trafficking who agree to testify against the perpetrators and opens the way to include them in a witness protection programme. There are now court precedents on the application of a recent amendment of the Penal Code stipulating tougher penalties for human trafficking. Inter-agency cooperation could be improved with the aid of common operations and training activities. It is of key importance that Turkey signs the Council of Europe Convention on action against trafficking in human beings. Solutions allowing sustained funding are necessary for the free emergency helpline and for the centres.” [71d] (p74) 24.04 The US Department of State Trafficking in Persons report, released on 4 June 2008, stated that: “Turkey is a significant destination, and to a lesser extent, transit country for women and children trafficked primarily for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation… Women and girls are trafficked from Moldova, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Bulgaria, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Romania for sexual exploitation. This year, three victims were reported trafficked to Turkey from outside of Eastern Europe and Eurasia—from Morocco, Tunisia, and Sri Lanka. Some victims are reportedly trafficked through Turkey to the area administered by Turkish Cypriots for the purpose of sexual exploitation.” [5i] 24.05 As highlighted in the IOM (International Organisation for Migration) document ‘Republic of Turkey Migration Profile’, dated October 2007: “Turkey is a major destination for human trafficking for sexual exploitation because of its proximity to main source countries… Majority of the victims of human trafficking identified in Turkey are between 18 to 24 years old, with mainly secondary school education… A small number of men from Turkey were trafficked to the Netherlands for the purpose of forced labour in 2006… More than one third of women trafficked to Turkey are mothers with children and illegal profits from trafficking top more than 1 billion USD annually. The vast majority of victims recruited to Turkey had a personal relationship with their recruiter.” [86a] 24.06 The US State Department 2007 Trafficking in Persons report, published 4 June 2008, noted that “The Government of Turkey does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so. The government significantly increased its law enforcement response in 2007 by convicting and punishing more traffickers. It further improved interagency and NGO cooperation and continued to institutionalize and implement comprehensive law enforcement training. In addition, the Government of Turkey made efforts to address trafficking-related official complicity among law enforcement. However, a lack of secure and consistent government support for Turkey’s trafficking shelters frustrated solid improvements in Turkey’s anti-trafficking efforts.” [5i] 24.07 The USSD 2007 Trafficking in Persons report, published 4 June 2008, noted that “The Government of Turkey demonstrated strong anti-trafficking law enforcement and prosecutorial efforts during the reporting period. Article 80 of the Penal Code prohibits trafficking for both sexual exploitation and forced labor, and prescribes penalties of eight to 12 years’ imprisonment, which are sufficiently stringent and commensurate with prescribed penalties for other grave crimes, such as sexual assault.” [5i] 24.08 The USSD 2007 Trafficking in Persons report also noted that “The government reported convicting four traffickers during 2007 under its recently amended Article 80… In addition to the four Article 80 convictions, the government, in 2007, prosecuted 160 suspects and convicted 121 trafficking offenders, a dramatic increase from the 36 convicted in 2006. Penalties imposed on traffickers convicted under Article 227 averaged three years’ imprisonment and included fines, some of them substantial.” [5i] 24.09 The NGO 2006 compiled by Ankara Child Rights Initiative however stated that “Although the magnitude of the problem of child trafficking is not fully known, considerable efforts have been observed addressing the problem of human trafficking in Turkey... For example, Dutch Foundation for Missing Children reported that for the last four years, 36 children were abducted to Turkey only from the Netherlands.” [80b] (p5) 24.10 In addition, the 2006 US State Department (USSD) report on Human Rights Practices published 6 March 2007, noted that “A 20 year-old Moldovan woman recounted a common trafficking scenario. She was promised work as a restaurant waitress by a close friend. Upon arrival in the country, her friend abandoned her at a hotel. An Azerbaijani woman arrived and told her she had been sold for $3,000 and would have to pay back the money over five months of prostitution. She worked with four other girls at the same hotel. Clients beat her regularly. She was forced to service 15 clients per day, often without protection. She became pregnant. Police rescued the victim and six other women after she called the trafficking hotline from a ’client’s mobile phone. All were identified as victims of trafficking and received shelter and assistance.” [5h] 24.11 On 1 July 2008 the Turkish Daily News reported in ‘Turkey launches campaign to combat human trafficking’ that: “Human trafficking is a problem that has gone beyond international borders…The European Commission-funded campaign is being implemented by the International Organization for ’Migration’s, or OIM, Turkey office in close cooperation with the Turkish government. The two-year project aims at providing support to Turkish institutions in their fight against human trafficking, and protecting victims in line with EU directives… On the same day as the launch, a short promotional TV film and radio spot, titled ‘React to Human Trafficking, Don't Be Indifferent!’ was introduced for broadcast on television and radio channels nationwide. The film draws attention to the crime of human trafficking and ’Turkey’s 157 emergency hotline for the rescue of the victims.” [23d] See also Section 28.01 Foreign Refugees Return to contents Go to list of sources Support and assistance 24.12 The US State Department (USSD) 2007 Trafficking in Persons report, published 4 June 2008, noted: “The government continued its victim assistance efforts; however international donors stepped in to help remedy a funding shortfall for one trafficking shelter during the reporting period. Although there was no interruption in core services, a funding shortfall forced one shelter to forego staff salaries and divert other resources in order to finance these core services. A lack of consistent and guaranteed funding for Turkey’s trafficking shelters weakened the government’s overall protection efforts in 2007. The government has reported that it is focused on finding a long-term financial solution to this problem.” [5i] (Country narratives – Turkey) 24.13 The USSD 2007 Trafficking report also noted that: “The government encourages victims to participate in trafficking investigations and prosecutions, offers them free legal assistance, and offers legal alternatives to their removal to countries where they would face retribution or hardship. Foreign victims may apply for humanitarian visas and remain in Turkey up to six months with the option to extend for an additional six months; the government issued three humanitarian visas for victims in 2007. The government does not punish identified victims for crimes committed as a result of being trafficked. The government took steps to ensure the responsible and secure repatriation of trafficking victims by following specific exit procedures and contacting governments about their documentation and notifying them of subsequent repatriation.” [5i] (Country narratives – Turkey) 24.14 The IOM document ‘Republic of Turkey Migration Profile’, dated October 2007, also noted that “In 2003 an amendment was made to the Citizenship Law in order to prevent foreigners marrying Turkish citizens and claiming Turkish citizenship simply through a declaration at the time of marriage. This puts an end to traffickers exploiting this provision for their benefit. .. The National Task Force on Combating Trafficking in Human Beings has been established in 2002… Turkey’s first Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking was prepared by the Task Force and is being currently implemented.” [86a] 24.15 The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs website, last updated on 10 July 2008, in ‘Turkey’s Fight against Illegal Migration’ noted that due to the magnitude of the problem, the solutions are beyond the means of a single country, requiring international burden sharing. Providing shelter, food, medical treatment as well as bearing the return costs of such high numbers of illegal immigrants puts a heavy financial burden on Turkey’s resources. Statistical Data on Illegal Migration: Nearly 700,000 illegal migrants were apprehended in Turkey within the period 2005-2007. One of the main features of illegal immigration is the fact that it is being conducted by organised networks.
[60c] 24.16 The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, last updated on 10 July 2008, also added that “Due to her unique geographical position, Turkey is a destination country. Victims of THB are mostly from old Soviet Republics and the Statistical Data is as follows:
* Trafficking in human beings is frequently confused with human smuggling. Human smuggling is to assist for profit purposes, persons who do not possess a permanent residence in Turkey to enter and reside illegally and Turkish nationals to exit the country illegally. ** The number of the victims of human trafficking who accommodated, had medical and psychological assistance in shelters between November 2004-December 2004.” [60b]
an organisation. The new penal code also provides an official definition of trafficking and a punishment of eight to ten years’ imprisonment and judicial fine for the offense. The Ministry of Health has ordered the provision of free medical treatment at state-owned hospitals for individuals who have been identified as victims of human trafficking. Additionally, the Ministry of the Interior now allows authorities to issue humanitarian visas and temporary residence permits for up to 6 months to those victims of human trafficking who wish to stay in Turkey for rehabilitation and treatment.” [19] (p6) Training activities 24.20 The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs further noted that: “Training was given to law enforcement officials. First public awareness campaign with the title ‘Have you seen my mother?’ was launched on 2 February 2006 with the contributions of IOM and coordination of the Turkish Government.” [60b] 24.21 The US Department of State 2006 Trafficking in Persons report – Turkey, published 12 June 2007, noted that “During the reporting period, the police continued an internal anti-trafficking training program, reaching 1,150 additional police officers. While the government arrested some low-level officials for trafficking, no officials were prosecuted or convicted over the reporting period.” [5d] 24.22 The USSD 2007 Trafficking in Persons report published 4 June 2008, also noted that “Turkey’s NATO Partnership for Peace (PFP) training center hosted anti-trafficking training for Turkish and other NATO and PFP country personnel. The center also hosts annual anti-trafficking training for Turkish units assigned to peacekeeping operations. Thirty Turkish personnel received this training in 2007. The government did not report any measurable steps to reduce demand for commercial sex acts within Turkey’s legally regulated prostitution sectors during the year.” [5i] Yüklə 1,97 Mb. Dostları ilə paylaş:
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