US embassy cable - 04ANKARA5113

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 005113 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/10/2014 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, PHUM, TU 
SUBJECT: VERHEUGEN OFFERS STRONG SUPPORT DURING TURKEY 
VISIT, DESPITE CONCERNS 
 
Classified By: Classified by Deputy Polcouns Charles O. Blaha; reasons 
1.4 b and d. 
 
1. (C) Summary: During an intense September 4-9 visit to 
Turkey, EU Enlargement Commissioner Verheugen stressed his 
support for opening accession talks with Turkey in 2005, even 
stating flatly in one meeting that the EU will set a date for 
talks at the December Summit.  However, Verheugen also warned 
that some other EU commissioners are less supportive of 
Turkey, and the Commission's October Progress Report on 
Turkey will reflect a consensus view.  Verheugen privately 
warned PM Erdogan and Deputy PM and FM Gul against pursuing 
legislation that would criminalize adultery, and then went 
public with this concerns when his warning went unheeded. 
Though Verheugen consistently praised GOT human rights 
reforms, he also called for further progress and pointedly 
told one interlocutor that Turkey remains far behind the 10 
new EU member states in human rights.  Erdogan and Gul 
pledged to continue the reforms after starting accession 
talks.  Verheugen said he is concerned about possible Greek 
Cypriot opposition to Turkey's EU candidacy, though the 
Cyprus issue should not influence the EU decision in 
December.  Most NGO leaders and representatives of non-Muslim 
religious communities said they favor the opening of 
accession talks, despite Turkey's human rights shortcomings, 
though one NGO president claimed there has been no progress 
on torture.  End Summary. 
 
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Upbeat Verheugen Gets Warm Reception 
------------------------------------ 
 
2. (C) Asif Amin, DCM at the Danish Embassy; Thomas Bagger, 
political and press counselor at the German Embassy; and Sema 
Kilicer, political officer at the EU Representation to 
Turkey, all told us they had never seen Verheugen so positive 
about Turkey, nor Turks so positive about Verheugen, than 
during this visit.  Verheugen made it clear to Erdogan and 
Gul that he personally favors the opening of accession talks 
in 2005.  He supports the inclusion of a strong 
recommendation to that effect in the EU Commission's October 
Progress Report on Turkey.  However, he warned that some 
commissioners are not supportive of Turkey, and the report 
will reflect a consensus view.  (Note: Kilicer (please 
protect) told us that, based on the portions of the draft 
report she has seen, it will include a mix of positive and 
negative information, leaving it up to the EU Council to 
interpret. End Note).  He also promised  his Turkish 
interlocutors across the board that the EU will make a firm 
decision in December, ending the uncertainty that has long 
surrounded Turkey's candidacy.  Verheugen was greeted warmly 
by the Turkish public; aside from an anti-EU demonstration by 
nationalists in Izmir, there were no signs of the suspicion 
noticeable during previous visits.  This was especially true 
in the southeast, where local residents displayed signs 
welcoming him in several languages, including Kurdish, and 
sought to kiss his hand.  Kilicer speculated that this 
rock-star treatment may have gone to his head; by the end of 
his visit he was less cautious in his statements about what 
the EU will offer Turkey.  Verheugen assured trade union 
representatives in Istanbul September 9 that, while he cannot 
say so publicly, the EU in December will definitely set a 
date to begin accession talks. 
 
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Verheugen: Turkey Lags Behind New EU Members 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
3. (C) At the same time, Verheugen made clear that Turkey 
will have to continue improvements in human rights reforms, 
particularly regarding religious freedom and implementation 
of reform legislation.  Turkey has made spectacular progress 
in recent years, he said, but still falls short of EU 
standards in some respects.  Erdogan and Gul accepted this, 
and even averred that they need the EU to maintain pressure 
on Turkey to give them political cover to continue the 
reforms.  They asserted that the EU Commission report on 
Turkey should be clearly positive, in light of the progress 
made.  Anything less will be deemed unfair by the Turkish 
public, and will complicate further progress.  The reforms 
are overdue and in Turkey's interest, and the GOT will 
continue them after starting accession talks.  During the 
trade union meeting, Turk-Is Confederation President Salih 
Kilic argued that the EU should have long ago opened 
accession talks with Turkey, and asked why the 10 new member 
states jumped the line ahead of Turkey.  Verheugen, according 
to Kilicer, gave a blunt reply: "Do you really want to know? 
In the 10 new member states, minority rights are protected, 
people have the right to use their mother tongue, torture is 
not tolerated, and there are no destroyed villages.  Don't 
ask me to compare Estonia and Hungary with Turkey." 
 
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Adultery Ban Is "Political Dynamite" in Europe 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
4. (C) According to Amin and Bagger, Verheugen told EU heads 
of mission in Ankara September 6 that he would discuss the 
GOT's proposed legislation criminalizing adultery only in 
private (Note: See septel for report on legislation.  End 
Note).  While the matter is not part of the Copenhagen 
Criteria and is officially unrelated to Turkey's candidacy, 
Verheugen said the idea of criminalizing adultery smacks of 
Islamic law (Sharia), and contradicts the Western concept of 
a modern state.  He called the issue "political dynamite" and 
said it has done grave harm to Turkey's image in Europe. 
Shortly after Verheugen raised the issue in private with 
Erdogan, the PM made a public statement vowing to press ahead 
with the legislation.  That prompted Verheugen to go public 
September 9, telling the press, among other things, that the 
legislation "can only be a joke."  Kilicer told us it is 
unclear whether criminalizing adultery would violate the 
European Convention on Human Rights.  The Council of Europe 
has informally determined that such legislation could violate 
Article 8 of the Convention, which protects the right to 
respect for private and family life.  Amin said Dutch 
Ambassador Gosses will meet with Gul to warn him against 
pursuing the legislation. 
 
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Greek Cypriots Could Be Spoilers 
-------------------------------- 
 
5. (C) Verheugen told Erdogan and Gul that Cyprus will not 
affect the EU's decision in December, which is the EU's 
official position.  However, he acknowledged to EU 
ambassadors that he is concerned about the potential role of 
the Greek Cypriots as spoilers.  Nicosia has been inflexible 
in its opposition to EU efforts to relieve the isolation of 
the TRNC, and has lately been making disturbing noises 
indicating Turkey should be required to fully recognize the 
Republic of Cyprus in order to open accession talks. 
Verheugen repeatedly criticized the Greek Cypriots throughout 
his comments, drawing the ire of the Greek Ambassador. 
Verheugen said the October Progress Report will note the 
presence of Turkish troops on Cyprus, but will offset this 
with reference to Turkey's support for the Annan Plan. 
 
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Minority Religious Leaders Favor Accession 
------------------------------------------ 
 
6. (C) Verheugen told leaders of the non-Muslim religious 
communities in Istanbul September 9 that they have an 
important role to play in helping the EU determine the state 
of religious freedom in Turkey.  European Christian 
Democrats, in particular, are keenly interested in the status 
of Christians in Turkey.  Several religious leaders outlined 
the problems they face due to the fact that their religious 
institutions lack legal standing.  Representatives of the 
Greek and Armenian Orthodox churches said they continue to 
face difficulties in their efforts to attain legal ownership 
of church properties, despite reforms designed to ease 
restrictions (Note: See septel for detailed report on 
property issue. End Note).  According to Kilicer, the 
religious leaders disagreed on a number of issues relating to 
the nature of their problems, but stressed uniformly that 
they favor the opening of accession talks, which they believe 
will lead to further reforms.  "We didn't come here to cry on 
your shoulder," Monsignor Louis Pelatre, Latin Vicar 
Apostolic Bishop of Istanbul, told Verheugen.  "There are 
problems here, but we love Turkey." 
 
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NGO: Torture Remains "Systematic" 
--------------------------------- 
 
7. (U) The majority of NGO leaders shared that support for 
accession talks in their meeting with Verheugen.  But Yavuz 
Onen, president of the Human Rights Foundation (HRF), caused 
a stir by claiming HRF statistics indicate an increase over 
last year in torture, which he believes is still "systematic" 
in Turkey.  Verheugen countered that he believes torture 
remains "widespread" but is no longer "systematic" (Note: 
This is our conclusion as well, as reflected in the Human 
Rights Report over the past couple of years. End Note). 
 
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Comment 
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8. (C) Verheugen's interactions during an intense week in 
Turkey reveal the complex currents surrounding Turkey's EU 
candidacy.  Like many observers, both internal and external, 
Verheugen is inspired by the GOT's impressive reforms, which 
he wants to encourage.  At the same time, his concerns about 
the adultery legislation and his comments about the 
differences between Turkey and the 10 new EU member states 
demonstrate that he is aware of the distance that still 
separates Turkey from the Western democracies.  The warm 
greeting he received in the troubled southeast reflects the 
desperation of Turks who see the EU as the only hope for 
relaxing the restrictions imposed on them by a rigid, 
overbearing State. 
 
 
EDELMAN