PROSTITUTION AND ITS EFFECTS IN NORTHEAST TURKEY

following the opening of the border between Turkey and the Soviet Unio n in 1988, petty traders appeared in the towns of the Eastern Black Se a coast, establishing 'Russian markets'. They were soon followed by wo men who engaged in prostitution. The appearance of a great number of f oreigners in a part of Turkey that had previously been virtually untou ched by tourism has had an important imnpact on both the economy and l ocal percerptions of the outside world. The visible presence and activ ities of foreign prostitutes have provoked a variety of reactions amon g local people in an area where the centuries old moral code has been scrupulously observed. The article outlines the diverse reactions of w omen in different social groups, and notes that while some women can u se the situation to improve the control they exercise over their lives , the poorest remain the victims of exploitation - just like their for eign sisters.