Ankara, Türkiye – On May 5, 2023, IOM Türkiye and the Presidency of Migration Management (PMM) have launched a new 36-month project aimed at strengthening the anti-trafficking response and victim protection mechanisms in the country. The project, called "EU Support in Combating Trafficking in Human Beings in Türkiye," is funded by the European Union through the Central Finance and Contracts Unit as a contracting authority.

Since 2007, IOM has been working closely with national partners to prevent human trafficking and protect victims by building the capacity of competent government and non-government actors and providing direct assistance to victims of human trafficking. The new project will build on the results achieved during these years and promote all efforts and initiatives to combat different types of human trafficking, from child trafficking to sexual and labor exploitation, in cooperation with public institutions, international organizations, and civil society organizations in Türkiye.

To achieve the project objectives, IOM will collaborate closely with PMM and its provincial departments, and the Ministry of the Interior. The project will primarily focus on strengthening counter-trafficking efforts of key stakeholders and protection response mechanisms for victims of human trafficking in coordination and cooperation with partners, public institutions, international organizations, and civil society organizations in Türkiye.

"We have been working with our national partners on combating human trafficking since 2007. This project will take us further in our efforts to strengthen anti-trafficking response and victim protection mechanisms in Türkiye." -Claudia Natali - IOM, Deputy Chief of Mission

The launch event of the project took place in Ankara and was attended by representatives from IOM, PMM, the European Union Delegation to Türkiye, and the Central Finance and Contracts Unit of the Ministry of Treasury and Finance of the Republic of Türkiye.

“EU-funded project in Türkiye combats human trafficking, focusing on early identification of victims and provision of adequate assistance. It offers opportunities to make progress in tackling this hideous crime and further deepen EU-Türkiye cooperation.” Alexander Fricke - EU Delegation to Türkiye, Counsellor of the EU Delegation

During the opening speeches, M. Selami Yazıcı, PMM Director General of International Protection highlighted the importance of institutional cooperation: “Effective collaboration among stakeholders is crucial to combat human trafficking. I hope the project will significantly contribute to the current national efforts and promote better institutional cooperation.”

Overall, this project is a significant step towards eradicating human trafficking in Türkiye, and it is hoped that it will contribute to protecting vulnerable individuals from this heinous crime.