US embassy cable - 04FRANKFURT4974

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 FRANKFURT 004974 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, SMIG, SOCI, PHUM, GM, EUN 
SUBJECT: Turks in Germany Press Issue of Turkey's EU 
Membership 
 
REF: MUNICH 0380 
 
Sensitive but Unclassified  not for Internet distribution 
 
1. (SBU) SUMMARY: The Turkish community in Germany voiced 
their frustration with opponents of Turkey's EU membership 
at a high-profile May 25 debate in Frankfurt in which the 
four major German parties sought to win the Turkish 
community's support in the June 13 European and local 
elections.  At the event (hosted by a leading Turkish 
organization), the Social Democrats (SPD) continued to 
advocate Turkey's entry into the EU (with the Free Democrats 
and Green Party also showing putative support) while the 
conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) remained firm in 
their rejection of opening accession negotiations.  Audience 
members (largely business representatives) cautioned that 
the Turkish government has taken great strides to fulfill EU 
requirements and that the political mood in Turkey could 
quickly sour if the EU resets the goalpost.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2. (SBU) A consulate representative attended a campaign 
debate organized by the "Rat der Tuerkeistaemmigen 
Staatsbuerger in Deutschland" (Council of Turkish-born 
citizens in Germany, an umbrella organization of 15 Turkish 
associations), at which representatives of the four largest 
German parties discussed Turkey's EU accession bid and 
related issues.  The following candidates took the stage: 
-- Michael Gahler, CDU MEP (Hattersheim  near Frankfurt) 
-- Ozan Ceyhun, Turkish-born SPD MEP (Ruesselsheim --  near 
Frankfurt) 
-- Heide Ruehle, Green MEP from Boeblingen (Baden- 
Wuerttemberg) 
-- Kerstin Laabs, Free Democrat (FDP) European Parliament 
candidate (Darmstadt). 
 
 
3. (SBU)  Gahler said that although the CDU would continue 
to speak out against Turkey's membership in the EU, it would 
not make the issue a centerpiece of its campaign (e.g., no 
anti-membership billboards or television advertisements). 
He reiterated his party's call for a "privileged 
partnership" (including an expanded custom union and closer 
cooperation on security issues -- see reftel) in lieu of 
full EU membership for Turkey.  Gahler listed several 
reasons for the CDU's opposition to opening accession 
negotiations in the near future, including the EU's need to 
integrate its ten new members, Turkey's record on human 
rights (e.g., the imprisonment of Kurdish activist Leila 
Zana), and the possibility that early EU membership could 
overwhelm Turkey and generate backlash among Turks in Turkey 
against further European integration. 
 
4. (SBU) The Turkish audience expressed its disappointment 
with the CDU's stance and speculated that a "closed door" 
policy could alienate and radicalize Turks across Europe and 
in Turkey itself.  Several participants cited Turkey's far- 
reaching reforms and its 60 billion euro investment in the 
EU-Turkey custom union as proof that Turkey could make the 
necessary changes for EU membership within ten years -- the 
length of time most observers expect accession negotiations 
would last. 
 
5. (SBU) The SPD's Ozan Ceyhun (the only German MEP with a 
Turkish background) blamed the CDU for creating the 
impression that Germans are voting on Turkey's EU membership 
in the upcoming European elections.  Ceyhun dubbed the CDU's 
"privileged partnership" a "trick to keep Turkey out."  He 
emphasized that negotiations with Turkey had to be 
accelerated to curb growing frustration and to make Turkey a 
role model for the rest of the Muslim world.  Participants 
expressed strong support for Ceyhun, but some criticized 
Interior Minister (and SPD member) Otto Schily's hard-line 
stance on German immigration as well as a recent comment 
attributed to (and denied by) Turkish-born SPD candidate 
Vugal Oeger that "Turkish women will accomplish today what 
Turkey could not 400 years ago" (i.e., a high birth rate 
will allow today's Turks to "conquer" Europe, something that 
the Ottomans failed to do in the 17th century). 
 
6. (SBU) Greens representative Heide Ruehle delivered the 
most well-received statement in favor of Turkey's EU 
membership.  Because of CDU "demagoguery", she said, 80 
percent of the German population wrongly thinks negotiations 
on EU membership will start soon after the elections, when 
in fact all that will be decided this year is whether or not 
to open negotiations -- and, if so, when.  (Comment: Her 
point is a bit disingenuous, given that the EU pledged in 
December 2002 that a positive decision on opening 
negotiations would be followed by the start of talks 
"without delay" -- most likely in the first half of 2005. 
End Comment.)  She called the privileged partnership 
"something we already have" and noted that, from a security 
standpoint, delaying negotiations could destabilize Turkey. 
Turning to Turkey's responsibilities, Ruehle called upon the 
Turkish government to strengthen reforms in agriculture, 
education, and the fight against corruption. 
 
7. (SBU) FDP representative Kerstin Laabs noted that Turkey 
had made significant progress in fulfilling the EU's 
membership criteria.  He stressed the cultural importance of 
Turkey's accession to the EU, saying that Turkey's 
membership could be a role model for peaceful cooperation 
between Christians and Muslims. 
 
8. (SBU) COMMENT: Although three of Germany's four major 
parties support EU membership for Turkey, audience reaction 
at the conference centered on the CDU's continued 
resistance.  Most participants portrayed the CDU's reasons 
for opposition as pretexts for a party that still does not 
believe that Turkey is really part of Europe.  Germany's 
Turkish community worries that the CDU's rising national 
popularity and continuing difficulties for the SPD could 
mean a change of government following Germany's 2006 
national elections and a resulting loss of German support 
for Turkish EU membership.  While nothing new was said at 
the convention, the audience's pointed commentary highlights 
a Turkish community in Germany increasingly anxious about 
Turkey's future within the EU.  END COMMENT. 
 
BODDE