US embassy cable - 04ANKARA581

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 000581 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/29/2014 
TAGS: GM, PREL, TU 
SUBJECT: POSITIVE FISCHER VISIT SETS SCENE FOR VISITS BY 
GERMAN OPPOSITION, PM SCHROEDER 
 
 
(U) Classified by Political Counselor John Kunstadter, E.O. 
12958, reasons 1.5 (b) and (d). 
 
 
1.  (C) Summary:  The Turkish MFA and the German Embassy both 
characterize German FM Fischer's January 21-22 visit to 
Ankara as positive.  Both sides see Turkey as having made 
significant progress on the Copenhagen Criteria for EU 
accession but agree Turkey needs to improve implementation in 
order to satisfy the Criteria.  Separate February visits by 
German opposition leaders and Chancellor Schroeder follow. 
End Summary. 
 
 
EU Is the Main Topic 
 
 
2.  (U) Fischer met Foreign Minister Gul for an extended 
period Jan 21; his meeting with Erdogan occurred on Jan 22. 
 
 
3.  (C) Turkey's EU entry was the main topic of Fischer's 
discussions with both Erdogan and Gul.  German Political 
Counselor Walter Hassmann expressed "surprise" to us at how 
"unequivocal" Fischer was in telling FM Gul that the GOG 
would give Turkey's EU entry "full support" if the GOT 
continues along its present path on the Copenhagen criteria. 
Hassmann also claimed to us that Fisher pressed hard for 
Turkey to seek a Cyprus solution by May 1.  MFA Western 
Europe Department Head Kemalettin Eruygur averred that 
Fischer gave a positive evaluation of Turkey's reforms; he 
characterized the Fischer visit as a demonstration of the 
GOG's developing support for Turkey's EU candidacy.  He 
attributed the support to a growing "strategic" GOG view of 
Turkey's EU relationship as enhancing relations between 
Europe and the Islamic world, and positively impacting German 
internal security concerns about its Moslem residents. 
(During the visit, Fischer publicly said that Turkey is more 
important to European security than a "missile defense 
system.") 
 
 
4.  (C) Both Hassmann and Eruygur said that Fischer 
emphasized that Turkey still needs to improve implementation 
of recent human rights legislative reforms.  Fischer 
specifically raised religious freedom and the case of Leyla 
Zana, a former M.P. convicted of Kurdish separatism in a 
controversial 1994 trial.  According to Hassmann, the GOG is 
focused on two German parishes (one Protestant, one Catholic) 
on Turkey's southern coast that he said have experienced 
continual problems from local officials.  Gul expressed the 
GOT's commitment to continue with the reform process. 
 
 
Upcoming Opposition Visit:  No "Back-Slapping" 
 
 
5.  (C) The next high-level German visit to Turkey promises 
to be very different:  CDU-CSU opposition leaders Angela 
Merkel and Wolfgang Schauble visit Ankara February 15-16. 
Both are skeptics about Turkey's EU membership.  Hassmann 
said that although Erdogan and other Turkish leaders are in 
regular contact with them, their visit will not feature the 
figurative "back-slapping" of the Fischer visit.  According 
to Eruygur, during his visit Fischer counseled the GOT to 
stress to Merkel that the GOT wants nothing short of full EU 
membership. 
 
 
PM Schroeder Visit 
 
 
6.  (C) Hassmann predicted that Chancellor Schroeder's 
February 22-24 visit to Turkey will feature the same types of 
discussions and atmosphere as the Fischer visit.  Schroeder 
will inaugurate Germany's largest investment in Turkey to 
date:  a 1.3 billion euro power plant in southern Turkey. 
DEUTSCH