In this qualitative research, Turkey's nationaJ policy and practice against sex trafficking is explored by looking at the interactions between sex trafficking, prostitution and migration regimes. Turkey has adopted definitions and legislation from the UN Protocol and this research focuses upon how international discourses have been understood and practised in a local context. I refer to feminist critiques of the UN Protocol, and show how Turkey'S national counter-trafficking rhetoric is heavily influenced by prostitution regime based on 'public health' and moral concerns as well as 'irregular' migration on the basis of national security and 'illegal' working. Findings indicate that the framing of sex trafficking as a problem of organised crime rather than as a type of migration obscures the strong connection between sex trafficking and migration. Furthermore, the definition of the phenomenon apart from prostitution obscures the connection between the prostitution regime in Turkey and its effects on sex trafficking. This tendency is especially visible in national legislation and law enforcement, where attempts to distinguish between forced and voluntary prostitution can 're-victimise' trafficked women in different stages of identification and protection mechanisms. Therefore, this study focuses on sex trafficking by showing how prostitution and migration regimes inform and affect the policies and practices against sex trafficking within local settings. It argues that those regimes play an important role in policy and practice against sex trafficking; they weaken the protection system which may cause 're-victimisation' of 'victims' of sex trafficking. This research challenges institutional responses to sex trafficking and makes policy recommendations founded on empirical research. It adds to our understanding of the prostitution regime in Turkey, its effect on trafficking and the needs of trafficked women. It has wider policy implications for other migrant groups, such as migrant domestic workers, who suffer from the same policies and practices in Turkey and the findings are transferable to other countries.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:651278 |
| Date | January 2013 |
| Creators | Coskun, Emel |
| Publisher | University of Kent |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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