US embassy cable - 04THEHAGUE3223

C O N F I D E N T I A L THE HAGUE 003223 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/09/2014 
TAGS: AORC, CY, GR, NL, PREL, TU, EUN 
SUBJECT: TURKEY/EU: DUCH PM'S DEC 9 DINNER WITH ERDOGAN 
 
 
Classified By: DCM Daniel Russel for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1.  (C)  PM Balkenende's focus at dinner with PM Erdogan in 
Brussels tonight, December 9, is to seek an agreement over 
how Turkey can adequately indicate recognition of Cyprus in 
the context of accession negotiations, Jochem Wiers (MFA EU 
Enlargement office and main drafter of accession texts for 
Turkey) told Poloff December 9.  Turkey continues to indicate 
its "readiness to do something" on the issue while Cyprus 
continues to demand that the Council Conclusions contain 
explicit language on recognition, he revealed.  The Dutch 
continue to advocate that the Turks make a "clear indication 
of intent to sign the protocol" by or at the December 17 
Summit, whether by letter to the Commission or by a 
declaration. 
 
2.  (C)  Poloff noted concern about recent press reports of 
PM Balkenende's having linked Turkey's signing the protocol 
to satisfying the recognition demands of Cyprus rather than 
fulfilling a Commission requirement to extend the agreement 
to all new member states. At first, Wiers said the PM had 
been misquoted and that he appreciated the sensitivity and 
strategy.  He then stepped back a bit by adding that 
"everyone knows it has to do with Cyprus" and that "Turkey 
needed to make the right gesture to Cyprus."  Poloff 
reiterated the USG suggestion that the medicine might go down 
smoother if the Turks were encouraged to move on a 
"Commission demand" rather than a "Cypriot one." 
 
3.  (C)  Poloff also raised USG concern over recent press 
reports that falsely attributed Ambassador Kennedy with 
putting "unhelpful" pressure on the EU regarding the Cyprus 
issue.  Wiers waved his hand and dismissed the press reports 
and said both that the Dutch are comfortable with the US 
position and that they do not reply to "that kind of press" 
which is "so often wrong."  Wiers promised to relay the gist 
of our conversation and assurances to Hannie Pollman-Zall 
(MFA Director for Central and Eastern Europe and Amb. 
Kennedy's interlocutor at the recent US-EU COSEE). 
RUSSEL