US embassy cable - 04THEHAGUE1524

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 THE HAGUE 001524 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/17/2014 
TAGS: PREL, TU, EU, NL 
SUBJECT: NETHERLANDS/TURKEY/EU: ERDOGAN GETS PRAISE BUT NO 
PROMISES 
 
 
Classified By: DCM DANIEL R. RUSSEL, REASONS 1.4(B) AND (D). 
 
1. (C) Summary:  As expected, Turkish Prime Minister 
Erdogan's June 16 visit to the Netherlands focused heavily on 
Turkey's EU accession bid.  Dutch Prime Minister Balkenende 
publicly and privately praised Turkey's reform efforts to 
date and assured Erdogan that negotiations on accession would 
be fair and transparent during the Dutch EU Presidency. 
Balkenende would not anticipate the results of the EU 
Commission's October report, but asserted that no new 
conditions would be placed on Turkey.  The Dutch described 
the chemistry between Balkenende and Erdogan as much improved 
since their previous meeting in 2002.  End Summary. 
 
2. (U)  Dutch and Turkish Embassy interlocutors characterized 
Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's June 16 visit to the 
Netherlands as a positive, but limited, step on Turkey's road 
to EU accession.  Speaking at a joint press conference 
following his discussions with Erdogan, Dutch Prime Minister 
Jan Peter Balkenende said he was pleased with Turkey's 
reforms over the past two years, noting in particular the 
decreased role of the military in Turkish politics. 
Balkenende stressed that negotiations on accession could 
begin following the presentation of the EU Commission's 
report on October 6 if Turkey meets the Copenhagen criteria, 
and stressed that negotiations during the Dutch presidency 
would be "careful and fair."  Balkenende explicitly rejected 
the introduction of any new demands on Turkey, but noted (in 
response to a question) that the observance of freedom of 
religion in Turkey remained a point of concern and attention 
for EU members.  For his part, PM Erdogan stressed Turkey's 
progress in completing and implementing reforms required by 
the EU, although he pointedly observed that the new EU 
members had not yet implemented all required EU legislation. 
 
3. (C) Rob Swartbol, Balkenende's principal foreign policy 
advisor, told Ambassador Sobel on June 17 that the atmosphere 
of the Prime Ministers' meeting (lasting one and one half 
hours) had been very positive.  Without making any promises, 
he said, Balkenende had made clear that the Dutch would take 
Turkey's progress on reforms into account when guiding EU 
accession discussions during the Dutch EU presidency. 
Erdogan, according to Swartbol, appeared satisfied with this 
approach and did not push back. 
 
4. (C) Leslie D'Huy, Head of the Turkey desk at the Dutch 
MFA, confirmed that the personal chemistry between Erdogan 
and Balkenende was "much better" than during their previous 
meeting in 2002.  She added that a key part of Balkenende's 
message was that Turkey should provide EU members "space" to 
reach their own conclusions following the October 6 
Commission report.  Balkenende stressed that trying to 
influence the decision through pressure would increase 
domestic resistance to Turkish EU membership in many states 
-- including the Netherlands -- and would therefore be 
counterproductive.  D'Huy noted that the Turks had received 
this message through working-level channels prior to the 
visit, and that Erdogan seemed to have taken it to heart 
since he did not push Balkenende hard on any issue. 
 
5. (C) According to D'Huy, Erdogan expressed concern that a 
negative  "Impact Statement" in the EU Commission's October 6 
report might negate otherwise positive assessments regarding 
Turkish efforts to meet the Copenhagen criteria.  Balkenende 
would not anticipate the conclusions of the Commission 
report, but argued that the negotiations on accession would 
be transparent and that Turkish interests would taken into 
account as well as those of member states. 
 
6. (C) On Cyprus, Balkenende reportedly thanked Erdogan for 
his efforts with regard to the Cyprus referendum.  He made 
clear that the Cyprus impasse would not be an issue for the 
EU to try to resolve during the Dutch presidency.  Balkenende 
suggested, however, that the anticipated EU Commission's 
package of measures to de-isolate Northern Turkey (expected 
on July 10) should go a long way towards satisfying Turkey's 
concerns in this area. 
 
7. (U) Erdogan's brief program in the Netherlands also 
included meetings with Queen Beatrix, Finance Minister/Deputy 
Prime Minister Zalm, and Christian Democrat (CDA) 
Parliamentary Floor Leader Verhagen.  According to the DCM of 
the Turkish Embassy, the meetings with Zalm and Verhagen were 
useful since both -- particularly Zalm and his conservative 
Liberal Party (VVD) -- remain unpersuaded regarding Turkish 
EU accession and could present problems for the coalition 
government later.  Erdogan briefed Zalm and Verhagen on 
Turkish reforms.  Erdogan also visited the University of 
Rotterdam where he gave a speech to a predominantly Turkish 
audience arguing that the large Turkish community in Europe 
already makes Turkey a de facto member of Europe.  Erdogan 
was accompanied on his visit by 110 Turkish businessmen who, 
according to the Turkish DCM, made several useful contacts 
during the visit. 
 
 
SOBEL