As the Queer Cyprus Association, we have entered a period of great transformation and development since the day we started our struggle in the field of anti-human trafficking with the LGBTI+ in Freedom from Exploitation (Life) Project that is financed by the European Union under the Together Against Trafficking in Human Beings Grant Scheme and implemented by the Queer Cyprus Association in cooperation with KAOS-GL.
This report was prepared at the intersection of nightclubs, international students, the Turkish Cypriot Community, civil society, local bodies and legal local text in order to reveal the vulnerabilities of LGBTI+s in the context of human trafficking on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, expression and characteristics in the northern part of Cyprus.
The field interviews and reporting of the research were carried out by Prof. Dr. Özlem Cankurtaran and research assistant Ali Odabaş. On the other hand, Assist. Prof. Dr. Neva Öztürk contributed to the general legal framework and the evaluation of the interviews carried out with LGBTI+s to understand the vulnerabilities LGBTI+s face in the context of human trafficking . Faika Deniz Pasha and Derviş Taşkıranlar took part in the editorial part of the report.
This report is comprised of 3 chapters within the scope of mapping the existing situation of LGBTI+s in the northern part of Cyprus from the perspective of human trafficking. The first chapter is related to the analysis of the general legal framework on human trafficking, researches on the necessity and significance of LGBTI+ inclusive fight against human trafficking and local legal texts in the northern part of Cyprus. The second chapter covers the analysis of interviews conducted with the related public officers, politicians, human rights activists, trans and gay participants with the purpose of understanding the human trafficking-related vulnerabilities and risks in the Turkish Cypriot community (TCc). Within the framework of interviews, human trafficking was analysed in the axis of three different themes as ‘Theme 1: Turkish Cypriot Community in the Axis of Human Trafficking‘, ‘Theme 2: LGBTI+ in Human Trafficking: Human Rights Requirements and Risks‘ and ‘Theme 3: Analysis of Interviews Conducted under this Report from the Legal Context of Human Trafficking’
The third chapter covers the conclusion, recommendations and requests. The conclusion part discusses the assessment results for the interviews from this report in terms of human trafficking’s legal aspect, and the situation of LGBTI+ oriented human trafficking in the northern part of Cyprus. The recommendations are divided into two parts while the first part delivers recommendations on the legal framework and LGBTI+ inclusive approach towards the fight against human trafficking whereas the second part includes recommendations for the minimisation of LGBTI+s’ vulnerabilities in terms of human trafficking based on the fieldwork. Lastly, the research presents the requests of the Queer Cyprus Association from local bodies, communities, professional organisations, trade unions and other related civil society organisations towards minimising the human trafficking-related vulnerabilities of LGBTI+s in general but particularly gay, bisexual and trans women working as sex workers in consideration with the proposed recommendations.
Click to download the full report> Mapping Study on THE SITUATION OF LGBTI+SEX WORKERS IN THE NORTHERN PART OF CYPRUS