The prostitution as a source of legal income for Turkmenistan’s residents is widespread not only within the country, but overseas, for example, in Turkey.
Correspondents of “Chronicles of Turkmenistan” report that the Istanbul district Ýenikapy is the place where commercial sex workers from Turkmenistan congregate.
In various cafes, located near Ýenikapy metro station, clients make arrangements with a female procurer.Each “madam” has 15 to 20 females aged 20 to 50 subordinate to her.
The fees for their services vary depending on the conditions and the age of prostitutes.For instance, females aged from 35 to 50 costs charge 180 Turkish liras (about $30) per hour.
The services rendered by younger women cost more.
After a preliminary arrangement a client is taken to an apartment nearby where a few women, who meet the requirements, are offered. A monthly rental fee for a three-room apartment in this district, which is rented by several girls, amounts to about $400.
A client might hire several girls. Following modern traditions, when a young man returns home after the military service, he celebrates his birthday or arranges a bachelor’s party where sex workers are invited. Each woman is paid 350-400 liras (about $60-70).
In recent years, due to the economic crisis, the number of women in Turkmenistan, who are engaged in prostitution, has seen a considerable increase.The local police are trying to combat this phenomenon.
However, a law enforcement officer from the police station in the district of Bodrum says it is a serious and a very profitable business with influential Turkmen individuals behind it.
We often carry out сovert operations, detain and deport females to the home country. However, some time later many of them, with new passports and new names, often illegally, get into Turkey again and get back to their “work”, the officer said.
The police officer said that he had prepared the documents for the Interpol for the female procurer from Turkmenistan. She managed to leave for the home country whereas all the requests remain unanswered by the Turkmen side.
Females, who are natives of the same Turkmen district, stick together.For instance, females from Magdanly, Gowurdak and Koteindag in Lebap velayat work in Istanbul’s district of Awjylar and Küçükçekmeje.
According to the latest reports, during the recent raid a few females from these districts were detained and placed to a pre-trial detention facility in Çatalja.
Groups from Mary and Balkan velayats work in the districts of Kadyköý, Dudullu, Çekmeköý, Ýenikapy and Ümraniýe, whereas females from Dashoguz offer their services in Ýenikapy.
Procurers encourage many females to come to Turkey and promise to provide them with good jobs. They cover transportation expenses and allow repaying the debt from the first salary. However, women fail to find jobs, the debt grows and as a result they are forced to engage in prostitution.
At the same time, Turkmenistan’s female nationals, who are illegally employed as servants or babysitters and get detained by the police, are deported from the country following the instructions of the employees of Turkmenistan’s Embassy.
They are stigmatized as “prostitutes” and are deprived of the opportunity to come back.