ANKARA - Turkish Daily News
A human trafficking report released by the U.S. Department of State has upgraded Turkey`s position from a group of countries subject to sanctions by the United States to that of countries requiring "special scrutiny."
Unveiling the fourth annual "Trafficking in Persons Report" to the press on Monday, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell estimated that 600,000 to 800,000 people, mostly women and children, are the victims of human trafficking each year, calling this "a kind of evil."
The report accused 10 nations -- Bangladesh, Burma, Cuba, Ecuador, Equatorial Guinea, Guyana, North Korea, Sierra Leone, Sudan and Venezuela -- of failing to do enough to stop the trafficking of thousands of people forced into servitude and the sex trade every year.
They comprise the report`s Tier 3 category, which includes countries that may be subject to sanctions, including the withholding of U.S. aid excluding that for humanitarian or trade purposes.
Turkey had formerly been rated among countries that could face U.S. sanctions, but this year it has been placed on the so-called "Tier 2 Watch List" in the annual report.
The report noted that although fewer in number, many people were being transported to Western Europe via Turkey. It stated that the Turkish government was not fully complying with the minimum standards that are crucial to eliminating human trafficking; however, the report noted that Turkey had recently been engaged in efforts to eliminate the problem.
The report also emphasized that under Turkish law, human trafficking was considered a crime carrying up to 20 years` imprisonment.
Turkey`s efforts to cooperate with its neighbors in eliminating the problem are also mentioned in the report.
Turkey, at the crossroads of Asia, the Middle East and Europe, bordering eight countries and having a 5,000-mile-long coastline, has long been confronted with the problem of human trafficking. In recent years Turkey has become a destination for nationals of transitional democracies in search of better living conditions and job opportunities abroad in the face of conflict or economic and social hardship prevailing in their countries of origin.
Incitement to trafficking in human beings is specified as a crime and is punishable under the Turkish Penal Code. Parliament has recently enacted amendments to the relevant regulations in an effort to eliminate human trafficking.