US embassy cable - 04HELSINKI1406

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HELSINKI 001406 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR/NB 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PHUM, TU, FI, EUN 
SUBJECT: FINLAND: SUPPORT FOR TURKISH ACCESSION TO THE EU 
 
 
1.  (U) Several Finnish officials and opinion makers have 
recently expressed support at a variety of fora for eventual 
Turkish accession to the EU.  Such statements mark Finland as 
being among those who support a positive decision as regards 
the Turkish question later this year.  Olli Rehn, the new 
Finnish EU Commissioner for Enlargement, has publicly warned 
opponents of Turkish accession that as the historic decision 
is debated, Turkey's application should not be "pre-judged" 
but considered on its merits and with the best interests of 
both Turkey and Europe in mind.  The Finnish Government 
clearly supports Rehn's attitude.  The three most notable 
examples of Finland's proactive policy on Turkey were a 
statement by Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja at an October 13 
"Turkey and the Borders of Europe Seminar," and the remarks 
of Liisa Jaakonsaari, the chair of Finland's Parliamentary 
Foreign Affairs Committee, and former President Martti 
Ahtisaari at a Helsinki briefing about the Independent 
Commission on Turkey's just-released report. 
 
Support from the Foreign Minister 
--------------------------------- 
2.  (U) Speaking at the aforementioned seminar, Tuomioja 
welcomed the Committee's report and stated Finnish support 
for Turkish accession.  The foreign minister noted that 
Turkey had made substantial progress in all outstanding areas 
such as human rights, civil-military relations, and the rule 
of law.  He specifically noted progress on issues like 
capital punishment, gender equality, and the supremacy of 
international agreements.  Tuomioja acknowledged that 
challenges remained.  He said that the continued use of 
torture, violence against women, and concerns over freedom of 
expression remained real problems that Turkey would have to 
overcome as it prepared for accession.  However, he expressed 
confidence that the Turks would meet these challenges and be 
ready within a decade to join the EU.  Countering claims that 
Turkey's Islamic culture is incompatible with European 
culture, Tuomioja bluntly said that "Turkey is part of 
Europe.  Finns share a common identity with the Turks.  Our 
common values, not borders, should be at the center of 
discussion." 
 
An Historic Moment is at Hand 
----------------------------- 
3.  (U) Speaking before Finland's Parliament and leading 
politicians and ministry officials on Oct. 20, Jaakonsaari 
opined that whatever the price of EU enlargement, it was 
small in comparison with the costs of not bringing Turkey 
into the EU.  Jaakonsaari emphasized the importance of Turkey 
in building bridges to the Muslim world.  She said that the 
process of enlargement and integration might be a long one, 
but that it must continue.  Jaakonsaari recognized that 
Turkey must fulfill its obligation to continue to reform its 
human rights practices, and that there could be no question 
of a "double-standard" for human rights within Turkey as 
opposed to the rest of the EU.  However, she believed recent 
progress would continue.  Jaakonsaari said that Turkey's 
legislative preparation had been "excellent," and while the 
implementation of this legislation had not always run 
smoothly so far, she was optimistic about the future.  She 
opined that for the EU and Turkey, there could be "no turning 
back." 
 
4.  (U)  Following Jaakonsaari's remarks, the head of the 
EU's Independent Commission on Turkey, former Finnish 
President Martti Ahtisaari, spoke.  Ahtisaari said that 
Turkey was a part of Europe and always had been.  He noted 
that Turkey was a part of the OSCE, NATO, and virtually every 
other trans-atlantic organization in some capacity.  He 
highlighted Turkey's strong economic performance in recent 
years, and cited a long list of successful Turkish human 
rights reforms, including abolition of the death penalty, 
reform of language laws, increased guarantees on religious 
freedom, and significant improvements on gender equality and 
the treatment of women in Turkish society.  Ahtisaari said 
that while many of his interlocutors around Europe suggested 
that a 20-year timeframe for Turkish accession was necessary, 
he cautioned against setting artificial, temporal mileposts. 
What was important at this stage was to set an initial date 
for talks to begin in good faith. 
 
5.  (U)  Pursuant to the "good faith" reference, Ahtisaari 
directly criticized opponents of EU enlargement who, he 
asserted, tried to "set the bar higher" for Turkey because it 
was a Muslim nation.  Admonishing his audience not to "mix 
religion and politics," Ahtisaari said that while the Turks 
should not receive special treatment, they should neither be 
discriminated against.  Obliquely addressing German CDU 
leader Angela Merkel, he said that those who suggest some 
sort of "special relationship" for Turkey short of EU 
membership humiliated the Turks, and likened the idea to 
offering an adulterous relationship rather than marriage. 
Ahtisaari said that fears of European "Islamicization" were 
groundless, and overlooked 80 years of progressive 
secularization in Turkey as well as internal EU estimates 
that as many as 70 million new workers will be needed in the 
EU by 2050 if Europeans are to maintain their current 
standard of living.  Finally, Ahtisaari opined that in the 
end, the best prophylactic against Islamic fundamentalism in 
Turkey or elsewhere was inclusion of Turkey in the European 
polity rather than exclusion and separateness:  "An historic 
moment is at hand;  the most important moment in the modern 
history of Europe." 
MACK