Turkey has launched a national multimedia information campaign to
combat human trafficking with the release of a 30-second commercial
developed with IOM with the support of the European Union.

The commercial, which is being aired on the country's main
national TV channels, portrays human trafficking as a
multi-dimensional crime affecting both women and men, and alerts
viewers to the country's national 157 counter-trafficking telephone
helpline.

"With this campaign we want to underline that human trafficking
is a trans-border issue and can only be defeated through concerted
global action. The 157 helpline has proven an effective tool in the
past and we urge people to use it," said Deputy Undersecretary at
the Ministry of Interior Zekeriya Sarbak.

The launch of the information campaign, which will also use
radio spots, handouts and posters, coincides with the release of an
IOM report, "2007 Report on Combating Human Trafficking
Turkey."

The report noted that in 2007 Turkish law enforcement agencies
identified 148 victims of trafficking, of whom 118 were
subsequently safely returned home by IOM.

The majority were women aged between 18-25 years and trafficked
from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) for sexual
exploitation. Moldova accounted for roughly a third of the total.
Over half the victims were rescued in Istanbul and Antalya
provinces.

For more information please contact:

Arslan Selin

IOM Ankara

Tel: + 90 312 454 1146

E-mail: "mailto:aselin@iom.int">aselin@iom.int