Key Reports

Trafficking in Persons Report 2007 Turkmenistan (Special Case)

Turkmenistan is not listed in the report this year because available information is insufficient to substantiate a significant number of victims in the country.

Scope and Magnitude

Turkmenistan appears to be a source country for women trafficked to Turkey, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Iran, Israel, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation.  Women may be trafficked internally for purposes of sexual exploitation and involuntary servitude.  According to IOM, there were six confirmed Turkmen victims trafficked to Turkey in 2006.  One potential victim of sexual exploitation was intercepted in Kazakhstan while en route to the UAE.

Government Efforts

The Government of Turkmenistan does not publicly acknowledge trafficking as a problem and does not actively investigate cases of trafficking.  There are no laws prohibiting trafficking in persons, however, traffickers could be prosecuted under various articles of the penal code.  Although the government does not provide specialized training for government officials in how to recognize, investigate and prosecute instances of trafficking, 40 government officials from various ministries attended a May 2006 anti-trafficking training seminar conducted by IOM.  Corruption remained a serious problem throughout society and within the government, although there were no reports of government officials directly involved in human trafficking.

The Government of Turkmenistan does not monitor the trafficking situation within its borders, nor does it have a strategy to do so.  There is no formal victim identification system in Turkmenistan.  The government does not provide medical assistance, counseling, shelter, or rehabilitative services to victims of trafficking and does not provide funding to foreign or domestic anti-trafficking NGOs to provide services to victims; however, the government does allow IOM to provide services.  In December 2005, the State Service for Registration of Foreigners formally signed an agreement with IOM to help foster greater cooperation and assistance in combating trafficking; this agreement facilitated the May 2006 anti-trafficking training seminar conducted by IOM.  The government conducted no trafficking awareness campaigns or prevention efforts during the reporting period.