US embassy cable - 04BRUSSELS3624

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRUSSELS 003624 
 
SIPDIS 
 
ATHENS, NICOSIA PLEASE PASS DAS KENNEDY 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/30/2014 
TAGS: PREL, TU, NL, EUN, USEU BRUSSELS 
SUBJECT: VERHEUGEN'S TURKEY TRIP AND DUTCH NGO STUDY 
 
REF: A. FBIS: EU SHOULD DELAY ACCESSION TALKS WITH 
 
        TURKEY EUP20040825000245 
     B. USEU-TODAY 8/27/2004 
 
Classified By: USEU/POL, Harry O'Hara, 1.4 b/d 
 
1. (C) Summary: DG-Enlargement Commissioner Verheugen will 
use his September 4-7 trip to Turkey to review the 
Commission's human rights and political concerns, which he 
hopes will further enhance his credibility before the 
European Council, the European Parliament and, ultimately, 
"European public opinion" when he talks to them about 
Turkey's candidacy for EU membership this fall. The 
Commission official responsible for preparing the 
Commission's analysis on Turkey's EU candidacy in the EU told 
us that while the recent Dutch study (ref A) had no influence 
on the Commission, it could effect EU political discussion on 
Turkey if the Dutch government uses its EU Presidency 
position to promote it. End Summary. 
 
2. (C) A key DG-Enlargement official told us that the 
just-released Dutch Advisory Council on International Affairs 
Group Study on Turkey (recommending that the EU not give 
Turkey an accession date in December) would have no/no 
influence on the Commission. Speaking unofficially, he noted 
that the study, if adopted by the Dutch government, could 
influence how the Dutch Presidency shapes the EU's political 
discussion over Turkey, especially after the October 6 
recommendation by the Commission and before an anticipated 
final decision by European heads of state at the December 17 
European Council.  The DG-Enlargement official also said that 
the Commission had been briefed on the study.  He also told 
us that he expects additional "advocacy" and "experts" 
studies on Turkey and the EU in coming weeks and that the 
Commission would seek to avoid commenting on any of them. 
 
3.  C) Besides preparing the report on Turkey's accession to 
the EU, the Commission is also preparing for DG-Enlargement 
Commissioner Verheugen's September 4-7 trip to Turkey.  The 
Commissioner will visit Izmir, Istanbul, Ankara and 
Diyarbakir, an ethnic Kurdish area.  Our Commission 
interlocutor told us that this visit is a part of the 
Commission's regular political dialogue with Turkey that 
recently included joint seminars (e.g. cultural rights) and 
meetings in Brussels.  Recent meetings have concentrated on 
freedom of press, civil-military relations, and freedom of 
religion.  Our Commission interlocutor commented that the 
quality of EU-Turkey discussion on these issues and "human 
rights in general" is "much better" and "more open" than it 
was two years ago. 
4. (C) Although not all details of Verheugen's schedule in 
Turkey have been finalized, his plan is to meet with FM Gul 
and a wide range of religious leaders. As noted in ref B, 
Verheugen hopes to further enhance his credibility before the 
European Council,  the European Parliament and, ultimately, 
"European public opinion" when he talks to them about 
Turkey's candidacy for EU membership this fall. In addition, 
the Commission expects the results of Verheugen's trip to 
feed into the  debate by EU experts on Southern and Eastern 
Europe (COSEE) at their next meeting on September 10. 
MCKINLEY