US embassy cable - 03ROME4670

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 004670 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/WE, EUR/ERA, EUR/SE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/07/2013 
TAGS: TU, IT, PREL, EUN 
SUBJECT: ITALY CITES ANKARA'S PROGRESS ON EU MEMBERSHIP, 
REMAINING OBSTACLES 
 
REF: ANKARA 5566 
 
    CLASSIFIED BY: CLASSIFIED BY POL M/C TOM COUNTRYMAN FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) 
 AND (D) 
 
1.  (U) ON OCTOBER 8, ITALIAN MFA DIRECTOR FOR AEGEAN ISSUES 
GIOVANNI RICCIULLI GAVE POLOFFS A READOUT OF FOREIGN MINISTER 
FRANCO FRATTINI'S OCTOBER 1 MEETING WITH TURKISH FOREIGN 
MINISTER ABDULLAH GUL IN ROME. RICCIULLI CONVEYED ITALY'S 
POSITIVE VIEW OF TURKEY'S PROGRESS TOWARD GAINING EU 
MEMBERSHIP, BUT HE NOTED THAT SEVERAL OBSTACLES REMAIN. 
 
 
2.  (C) ACCORDING TO RICCIULLI, GUL CONFIRMED TO FRATTINI 
THAT TURKEY WOULD CONTINUE TO SUPPORT IRAQ'S RECONSTRUCTION 
AND RETURN TO STABILITY.  FRATTINI EXPRESSED TO GUL HIS 
SATISFACTION WITH ANKARA'S INTERNAL REFORMS AND BILATERAL 
COOPERATION IN COMBATTING ILLEGAL MIGRATION AND ITS RECENT 
CREATION OF A COMMITTEE TO MONITOR IMPLEMENTATION OF LAWS 
NECESSARY TO JOIN THE EU.  FRATTINI SAID THAT HE WAS HAPPY 
TURKEY WAS PARTICIPATING IN THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL CONFERENCE 
(IGC) AND THE DEBATE ON THE FUTURE OF EUROPE. GUL STRESSED TO 
FRATTINI THAT THE MONITORING COMMITTEE IS A SIGN OF ANKARA'S 
COMMITMENT TO JOIN THE EU AND THAT TURKEY HAS REACHED A 
"CRITICAL MASS" IN ITS REFORM EFFORTS.  FRATTINI REMINDED GUL 
OF TWO ISSUES WHERE THE EU STILL HAS CONCERNS:  THE 
IMPRISONMENT OF KURDISH ACTIVIST AND FORMER MP LEYLA ZANA; 
AND THE CLOSURE (SINCE 1971) OF A GREEK ORTHODOX SEMINARY IN 
HALKI. 
 
3.  (C) GUL INVITED THE EU TO PUT PRESSURE ON TURKISH CYPRIOT 
LEADER RAUF DENKTASH BUT ALSO URGED THAT PRESSURE BE BROUGHT 
TO BEAR ON THE REPUBLIC OF CYPRUS.  GUL SUGGESTED TO FRATTINI 
    THAT A FAVORABLE EU REPORT ON TURKEY WOULD REASSURE THE 
TURKISH CYPRIOTS AND MOVE THE PEACE PROCESS ALONG.  HE 
CAUTIONED, HOWEVER, THAT LITTLE PROGRESS WOULD OCCUR IN 
CYPRUS UNTIL AFTER THE DECEMBER ELECTIONS. 
 
 
SEMBLER 
 
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	2003ROME04670 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL