Click here for helplines and contact details for support organizations.
After the earthquake, the situation may be unsafe. This page offers tips on how to protect yourself from people who might try to take advantage and where you can find support.
You have the right to be safe
You might be alone and scared. No matter what, you have a right to safety.
There are emergency numbers that you can call 24/7 and free.
You deserve to be informed of your rights and to be given the information required to access them.
- Are you Syrian in Türkiye? Click here to read information from UNHCR.
- If you are not from Syria, and you live in Turkey, click here to read information from UNHCR.
- You can find information in Arabic on the information portal of Refugee Rights in Turkey by clicking here.
Refugee Rights in Turkey is an independent non-governmental organization based in Istanbul, providing free specialized legal information and assistance services to asylum seekers and people detained in immigration centers in Türkiye.
Click here for helplines and contact details for support organizations.
Staying Protected
Most people want to help you, but there may be some who shouldn’t be trusted. Don’t believe the first story you hear.
Here are 6 tips to keep yourself protected:
It is important to remember that there is a lot of misinformation circulating on social media platforms and word of mouth. Make sure you question whatever you read or hear.
If it doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t.
You deserve to be safe.
Questions to ask if someone offers you help
People might approach you offering help, that does not mean that you can always trust them. There are some people that will make promises to you, but will have other motives. If approached by anyone, with offers of support of help, you should ask questions before trusting them.
Always share the details of any offer with a trusted contact.
If the person is not able to give clear answers, don’t take the risk. 
It is very important that whatever choice you make, you ensure you put your safety as a top priority.
Click here for helplines and contact details for support organizations.
Things to keep in mind when someone offers you help
Remember that aid workers are there to support you without asking for or expecting anything in return.
If there is a language barrier between you and the person offering help, ask for someone who speaks your language. Don’t go anywhere with someone if you do not fully where they are taking you or what they are offering you.
Remember that not everyone can be trusted even if they are dressed in a uniform, vest or have a badge. Always keep this advice in mind.
If you see or experience anything suspicious, you can report it anonymously on the STOP APP.
If you have experienced any of the above, you may have encountered someone with bad intentions who is trying to take advantage of the disaster situation. We advise you to get in touch with a trusted organisation for support.
Click here for helplines and contact details for support organizations.
Perpetrators can be anyone
Unfortunately, some people may want to make money and take advantage of your situation. The people who do this (perpetrators) can be of any age, gender, or nationality.
Remember that most people want to offer help but not everyone can be trusted.
These people (perpetrators) could be:
If you are in a situation where someone is taking advantage of you, you can seek help by contacting these numbers.
Getting Support
Here are numbers that you can contact for help.
When you contact a support organisation, it is helpful to be clear about the type of assistance you are looking for.
The organisation will assess your needs after listening to you and see how they can best assist you.
Here are a few examples of the type of issues that you might ask for support with:
- Legal issues
- Mental health or psychological issues
- Employment
- Health issues
- Education
- Livelihood matters
These contact details will be updated regularly:
112 - Emergency Number
If you or anyone you know are in immediate danger call the emergency number 112. The number is free of charge, 24/7. You can dial 112 to reach the emergency services, including the police, emergency medical services and the fire brigade.
ALO 183
If you are an unaccompanied minor or you know one, call the national hotline 183. ALO 183 offers 24/7, free and confidential support over phone. ALO 183 provides help for every woman and child who has been abused. The hotline can even provide financial, legal and mental help to those in need and belongs to the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Services.
157- YIMER (Foreigners Communication Center)
If you are a foreigner in Türkiye and need support, call 157 Yimer. YIMER 157 is a telephone hotline that operates non-stop 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The helpline supports victims of human trafficking and can provide information about visa, residence permit, international protection and temporary protection. The hotline provides information in Turkish, English, Arabic, Farsi, Russian, German and Pashto.
AFAD emergency hotline
If you or anyone you know is in need of rescue, contact the AFAM emergency hotline.
Information Lines for Unaccompanied/Separated Children
If you need information about unaccompanied/separated children affected by the earthquake, call these information lines.
Information about human trafficking
Click on the subjects below to find out more
Human trafficking legally means the movement or recruitment of people, either through deception, coercion, or force for the purpose of exploitation. Traffickers often profit financially from exploiting people.
What it can feel like is when one or more people make you do something you do not want while they make money out of your situation.
Human trafficking has different forms. Here’s some of them:
There are many ways people might be lured and trapped into exploitation, including:
You might be often offered help with travel and shelter in exchange for payment later. Don’t agree unless you know all the details. This is a method traffickers use to control and exploit people and an example of debt bondage.
It is very important that whatever choice you make, you ensure you put your safety as a top priority.
Traffickers often force people into doing things they don’t want to do. They will pressure and force people to stay in the situation using threats and intimidation.
The trafficker may convince you that everyone is on their side, even the police. This is a lie. Trafficking is illegal in Türkiye. You deserve to be safe.
Other control methods include:
If you have found yourself in a situation you want to escape, there are organisations that can help you.
Forced marriage occurs when one or both people do not freely consent to the marriage. Victims are often subjected to pressure, coercion, or abuse.
It is important to note that forced marriages are different to arranged marriages. Arranged marriages are a common practice all over the world.
In arranged marriages, both people agree to the marriage. In forced marriages, one or both people do not have a choice.
Both adults and children can be forced into marriage. In some cases, they are forced, coerced, or tricked into leaving their homes and traveling to a different place to get married.
After entering a forced marriage, some individuals are subjected to different forms of exploitation, for example sexual exploitation or domestic servitude. If you are experiencing this, you are not alone.
- Were you not consulted or aware that you were getting married?
- Has your family or extended family used emotional pressure and/or physical violence to make you agree to a marriage?
- Have you have been forced to stay in confinement and have not been allowed to discuss your marriage with anyone?
If you have experienced any of the above, you may be in a forced marriage, or you may be being pressured to be in one. You have the right to feel safe and to ask for help.
If you see or experience anything suspicious, you can report it anonymously on the STOP APP.
Click here for helplines and contact details for support organizations.
After a disaster like an earthquake happens, you might feel the pressure to secure an income. You might be approached in person by people who offer employment to you, or you might see advertisements of employment on social media.
Most people want to help but remember that some people cannot be trusted. People might approach you with offers for employment that seem too good to be true. They might try to gain your trust to take advantage of your situation.
Remember that some offers of employment might put you in a situation of labour exploitation.
If you are experiencing any of the following, you might be experiencing labour exploitation:
- Are you being threatened, coerced or forced to work?
- Do you have to work for little or no pay?
- Are your working conditions dangerous or unsafe?
- Are you experiencing threats by your employer? (For example, threats of deportation.)
- Are your legal documents being withheld or controlled by your employer?
- Is your employer preventing you from travelling or going where you want to go?
- Do you experience punishment or violence at work?
- Do you have to work for long hours without breaks?
If you are experiencing any of the above, you may be being exploited. You have the right to ask for help and receive support. Click here for helplines and contact details for support organizations.
If you see or experience anything suspicious, you can report it anonymously on the STOP APP.
Report an Incident on the STOP APP
Share your story or what you have seen. The power to share your story is in your hands.
The STOP APP enables anybody who knows, has seen or even heard a situation that they believe to be human trafficking, to talk about it in a safe and secure space.
You can report the incident anonymously and securely through the STOP APP. There will be no record of the report submitted on your phone.
You do not have an obligation to make a report on the STOP APP. However, by sharing what you have seen or heard in a safe way, could help others who are in a bad situation.
You can report your suspicions or observations by downloading our STOP APP. Make sure you are in safe place away from the suspected incident when making the report.
STOP THE TRAFFIK is a human trafficking prevention organisation. This app collects individuals’ stories of global human trafficking to disrupt and prevent this crime. We are not a rescue organisation and this app is not monitored 24/7 but will be checked on the next working day. If anyone is in immediate danger or a crime has been committed please contact trusted authorities.
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