Sex Trafficking In Turkey: A Critical Examination Of The National Responses To The Problem

Turkey, as both a destination and a transit country for sex trafficking, is exposed to growing problems due to its geographical location. Recent migrant influx from war-torn neighboring countries such as Syria and Iraq is resulting in enormous numbers of potential sex trafficking victims. Although the Turkish state seems willing to combat the problem by increasing cooperation with international organizations and legal instruments, lack of commitment in implementation and inadequate funding are some of the problems faced by the state. In this study, it is argued that increasing efforts and cooperation with international organizations such as United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and International Organization for Migration (IOM) and reshaping the underlying socio-cultural factors that facilitate illegal sex work sector may assist the Turkish state’s fight against this crime. However, Turkey’s effort to combat trafficking will have little impact since the extensive nature of sex trafficking requires global, international action, which will address not only nation states but also international socio-economic problems