Sex workers working in closed TRNC night clubs speaks out, want their business back

Some women working as prostitutes in one of the four night clubs sealed by the Lefkosa Turkish Municipality during the week has opened up about their joy saying they were not doing the job by force but to make money.

This came after a North Cyprus women's organizations became opposed to women being seen as "a commodity."

The Lefkosa Turkish Municipality (LTM) on Wednesday sealed and suspended the activities of four night clubs operating in Haspolat for not having a "work permits".

The decision to seal the night clubs were taken following several question raised by the women group.

According to the group, "Are women forced to work here?", "Are women brought here to the country by being deceived?", "Are the nightclubs in the country closed?". 

These questions has been a topic of debated in the country for many years and while the topic is being debated, women who work at one of the nightclubs sealed reached out to Turkish Cyprus daily, Kibris to say "We have what we want to say, listen to us."

According to the women who spoke to Kibris, they were satisfied with their work, and as many people claimed, they were not forced into nightclubs. Some of the women stated that they started this work knowingly and willingly to support their families and that they sent the money they had earned to their families.

As the women working in nightclubs refuted many arguments of thought, women's organizations reacted to the fact that women were seen as 'a commodity of commerce'. 

According to one of them,

We like our job. Nobody forces us here. We're getting our money. If we do not have the money, we get an advance. We only experienced great stress while our workplace was sealed. We do not want our business to be sealed.

They claim they are happy here. They said they always get in touch with the police and do regular checkup at the hospital.

The women also pleaded with authorities that they do not want their business to be closed.

Culled from Kibris Gazzete