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Turkey’s Response to Sex Trafficking of Migrant Women: Is It Efficient Enough?

Turkey’s Response to Sex Trafficking of Migrant Women: Is It Efficient Enough?
Type
Article (issue/policy brief, journal, blog, etc.)
Country
Türkiye
Region
South Eastern Europe, Eastern Europe and Central Asia
Organization
International Organization for Migration (IOM), The Authors International Migration
Year
2016
Publication Series
International Migration, Vol. 54, 6, 2016
Authors
O. Omer Demir, T. Zhidkova

Human trafficking for sexual exploitation is a serious problem affecting especially women and children. Turkey has been particularly affected by sex trafficking because of the large numbers of female migrants that it receives. This article aims to critically assess the effectiveness of Turkey's current policies against sex trafficking using a feminist theoretical perspective with a particular focus on migrant women. To this end, the scope of the problem in Turkey, the supply and demand sides of sex trafficking, and the existing policies are discussed. Sex trafficking is examined at the intersection of Turkey's migration and prostitution regimes. It is argued that Turkey's response to sex trafficking has been inefficient because it currently focuses only on the economic supply side of the problem, ignoring the patriarchal demand side of it. The article concludes with a discussion of policy recommendations for Turkey that could help reduce sex trafficking in this country.

The Journal is published and distributed by Wiley Online Library.