Prostitution in Northern Cyprus
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Prostitution in Cyprus is not illegal, but operating brothels, organising
prostitution Prostitution is the business or practice of engaging in Sex work, sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, n ...
rings, living off the profits of prostitution, encouraging prostitution or forcing a person to engage in prostitution are illegal activities. In 2015, MP Rikkos Mappourides called for prostitution in Cyprus to be legalised.


History

The ancient Greek goddess of love, Aphrodite, was reputed to have been born near Paphos, and a temple was built on the site. From the 5th century BC sacred prostitution took place at the temple. Every woman in the land was expected to make a journey to the temple once in her lifetime and have sex in exchange for money in the temple grounds. Following the island coming under control of the British,
prostitute Prostitution is the business or practice of engaging in sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, non-penet ...
s were required to be registered. In the Larnaca Town Museum the 1916 registration book is on display, which contains photographs of the town's prostitutes.
Brothel A brothel, bordello, ranch, or whorehouse is a place where people engage in sexual activity with prostitutes. However, for legal or cultural reasons, establishments often describe themselves as massage parlors, bars, strip clubs, body rub par ...
s were outlawed by the Governor, Ronald Storrs, in 1931, but there were exceptions during
WW2 World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
for the use of
allied troops An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...
. In an effort to reduce the spread of
STIs The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) is a spectrograph, also with a camera mode, installed on the Hubble Space Telescope. Aerospace engineer Bruce Woodgate of the Goddard Space Flight Center was the principal investigator and crea ...
, the
Army Medical Corps A medical corps is generally a military branch or officer corps responsible for medical care for serving military personnel. Such officers are typically military physicians. List of medical corps The following organizations are examples of medica ...
introduced a card system for prostitutes. In 1941 300 cards were issued. The prostitutes had to have a daily health check, and if clear of infections the card was stamped. If infected the women were treated and their card was withheld until they were cleared of the infection. Prophylactic centres were set up for the troops to attend prior to visiting the brothels where they were issued
condom A condom is a sheath-shaped barrier device used during sexual intercourse to reduce the probability of pregnancy or a sexually transmitted infection (STI). There are both male and female condoms. With proper use—and use at every act of in ...
s. In 1942 it was estimated that there were 740 prostitutes working on the island, mainly in
Nicosia Nicosia ( ; el, Λευκωσία, Lefkosía ; tr, Lefkoşa ; hy, Նիկոսիա, romanized: ''Nikosia''; Cypriot Arabic: Nikusiya) is the largest city, capital, and seat of government of Cyprus. It is located near the centre of the Mesaor ...
,
Famagusta Famagusta ( , ; el, Αμμόχωστος, Ammóchostos, ; tr, Gazimağusa or ) is a city on the east coast of Geography of Cyprus, Cyprus. It is located east of Nicosia District, Nicosia and possesses the deepest harbour of the island. Duri ...
and Limassol. Every major town except Kyrenia had a venereal clinic. Twelve prophylactic centres were established and a 200-bed venereal ward at Nicosia General Hospital.


Sex trafficking

Cyprus is a source and destination country for women and children subjected to
sex trafficking Sex trafficking is human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation. It has been called a form of modern slavery because of the way victims are forced into sexual acts non-consensually, in a form of sexual slavery. Perpetrators of the ...
. Women, primarily from Eastern Europe, Vietnam, India, and
sub-Saharan Africa Sub-Saharan Africa is, geographically, the area and regions of the continent of Africa that lies south of the Sahara. These include West Africa, East Africa, Central Africa, and Southern Africa. Geopolitically, in addition to the List of sov ...
, are subjected to sex trafficking. Sex trafficking occurs in private apartments and hotels, on the street, and within commercial sex outlets in Cyprus including bars, pubs, coffee shops, and cabarets. Some female sex trafficking victims are recruited with false promises of marriage or work as barmaids or hostesses. Unaccompanied children, children of migrants,
Romani Romani may refer to: Ethnicities * Romani people, an ethnic group of Northern Indian origin, living dispersed in Europe, the Americas and Asia ** Romani genocide, under Nazi rule * Romani language, any of several Indo-Aryan languages of the Roma ...
, and asylum-seekers are especially vulnerable to sex trafficking. Law 60(I) of 2014 prohibits all forms of trafficking and prescribes penalties of up to 20 years imprisonment. The government investigated 13 suspects for sex trafficking in 2016 (seven in 2015). The United States Department of State
Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons The Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (J/TIP) is an agency within the United States Department of State charged with investigating and creating programs to prevent human trafficking both within the United States and internation ...
ranks Cyprus as a ' Tier 1' country.


Northern Cyprus

The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) is only recognised as a separate state by Turkey. Prostitution is illegal, however in nightclubs, "konsomatrices", who sit with, eat with or entertain customers for money are allowed. Konsomatrices are not allowed to have sex with customers, but this restriction is frequently flouted. In 2016, authorities issued 1,314 six-month "hostess" and "barmaid" work permits for individuals working in nightclubs and two pubs operating in the north. During this period, 351 women worked under such permits. Nightclub owners hired female college students during this period to bypass the cap on the number of employees legally permitted in each club and avoid taxes and monitoring. Enforcement is generally lax, but in July 2006 the Nicosia District Court ordered the first prostitution-related imprisonment. After pleading no contest to the charges, the manager of Mexico nightclub, Mesut Kilicarslan, was sentenced to 15 days in prison for encouraging and profiting from prostitution. By the year's end three more suspects were sentenced to imprisonment for encouraging and profiting from prostitution. NGOs reported a number of women entered the TRNC on three-month tourist or student visas and engaged in prostitution in apartments in north Nicosia, Kyrenia, and Famagusta. Northern Cyprus has become a destination for
sex tourism Sex tourism refers to the practice of traveling to foreign countries, often on a different continent, with the intention of engaging in sexual activity or relationships in exchange for money or lifestyle support. This practice predominantly oper ...
.


Sex trafficking in Northern Cyprus

The area is increasingly a destination for women from Central Asia, Eastern Europe, and Africa who are subjected to forced prostitution in nightclubs licensed and regulated by the Turkish Cypriot administration. Nightclubs provide a significant source of tax revenue for the Turkish Cypriot administration; media reports estimated nightclub owners pay between 20 and 30 million Turkish lira ($5.7–8.5 million) in taxes annually. As the TRNC is not recognised by the United States, the United States Department of State
Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons The Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (J/TIP) is an agency within the United States Department of State charged with investigating and creating programs to prevent human trafficking both within the United States and internation ...
does not give the area a country ranking. If it did it would be Tier 3.


See also

* Prostitution in the British Overseas Territories#Akrotiri and Dhekelia


References

{{Europe in topic, Prostitution in Culture of Cyprus Cyprus Cyprus Cyprus