US embassy cable - 05ANKARA2602

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 002602 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/06/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, PHUM, TU 
SUBJECT: GERMAN CHANCELLOR URGES FURTHER GOT REFORM 
 
REF: A. ANKARA 1339 
 
     B. ANKARA 1340 
     C. ANKARA 1074 
 
Classified by Polcouns John Kunstadter; reasons 1.4 b and d. 
 
1. (U) Summary: During his May 3-4 visit to Turkey, German 
Chancellor Schroeder praised GOT leaders for past reforms and 
encouraged further progress.  He assured PM Erdogan and 
President Sezer that the EU will keep its commitment to open 
accession talks with Turkey in October.  He said the German 
Parliament will adopt a "balanced" resolution on the massacre 
of Armenians in 1915 without using the term "genocide."  The 
Chancellor also met with the Ecumenical Patriarch to 
underscore German support for religious freedom in Turkey, 
and publicly criticized the Greek Cypriots for rejecting the 
Annan Plan.  End Summary. 
 
2. (U) Schroeder met with Erdogan and Sezer in Ankara and 
then flew to Istanbul, where he met with Ecumenical Patriarch 
Bartholomew I, gave a speech at Marmara University, and 
attended the Turkish-German Business Congress. 
 
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Schroeder Seeks to Rejuvenate Reforms 
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3. (C) Thomas Bagger, political and press counselor at the 
German Embassy, told us the visit was scheduled shortly after 
the December 17 EU Summit, when the EU agreed to open 
accession talks with Turkey.  At the time, the Germans 
expected it to be a victory lap following the Summit success. 
 However, the context of the visit was dramatically changed 
by subsequent events casting doubt on Turkey's EU candidacy. 
The EU Troika's March visit was marred by police violence 
(reftels A-B), the GOT reform drive appears to have stalled 
(reftel C), and rising unemployment in Germany is fueling 
anti-Turkish sentiment.  The German Parliament, meanwhile, 
has been debating a resolution on the 1915 Armenian 
massacres.  Schroeder came to Turkey with the aim of 
rejuvenating the GOT reform effort, while showing critics in 
Germany that he is not overlooking Turkey's shortcomings. 
 
4. (U) Bagger said Schroeder praised Erdogan and Sezer for 
the EU-related reforms adopted by the GOT over the past three 
years.  He did not "lecture" them on the recent lack of 
progress, but encouraged them to get the reform process back 
on track.  He also urged the GOT to sign the Ankara Agreement 
extension protocol, which would formally extend Turkey's 
Customs Union agreement to Cyprus and the other new EU member 
states.  The Chancellor averred that the EU would place no 
new conditions on Turkey.  He pledged, both privately and 
publicly, that the EU will stick to its commitment to open 
accession talks with Turkey October 3.  He assured the Turks 
that the outcome of the May 29 French referendum on the EU 
Constitution will not affect Turkey's accession process. 
 
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Visit With "Ecumenical Patriarch" 
--------------------------------- 
 
5. (U) Schroeder's meeting with Patriarch Bartholomew was 
intended as a signal to both the GOT and Turkey-skeptics in 
Germany that he expects the GOT to make greater progress on 
religious freedom.  German church leaders had urged Schroeder 
to emphasize religious freedom during the visit.  Contrary to 
some Turkish press reports, Schroeder did not discuss at 
length the need for the GOT to reach agreement on the 
re-opening of the Ecumenical Patriarchate's Halki Seminary. 
However, Schroeder repeatedly referred to the Patriarch as 
ecumenical, a title strenuously rejected by the GOT; the 
Chancellor made a point of using the title during his speech 
at Marmara University, with Erdogan sitting in the front row. 
 
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Armenian Issue: Turkish Threats "Counterproductive" 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
 
6. (U) Erdogan was the first to raise the issue of the 
Armenian massacres, urging Schroeder to prevent the German 
Parliament from adopting a resolution on the issue. 
Schroeder bluntly replied that Parliament will pass a 
resolution.  He emphasized that the resolution will not 
include the word "genocide."  It will be a balanced 
statement, focused to a large extent on Germany's culpability 
as an ally of the Ottomans at the time. 
 
7. (C) Schroeder told his GOT interlocutors that Turkey needs 
to adopt a more flexible, constructive approach to the issue 
of the massacre of Armenians.  He said Germany will support 
Erdogan's declared initiative to have a joint 
Turkish-Armenian historical commission examine the matter. 
He warned that Turkey only undermines its position in Germany 
by using threats to try to block an Armenian resolution. 
Bagger told us this was a reference to Turkish Ambassador to 
Germany Irtemcelik, who was present during Schroeder's 
meetings.  Bagger described Irtemcelik as "running amok" in 
his efforts to warn German MPs that they will turn Germany's 
2.5 million ethnic Turks into enemies if they adopt an 
Armenian resolution.  "This plays right into the fears of 
those who see the Turkish community in Germany as a fifth 
column," Bagger said.  Sezer, recognizing the target of 
Schroeder's remark, asserted that Irtemcelik is fulfilling 
his duty to protect Turkey's interests. 
----------------------------------- 
Schroeder Criticizes Greek Cypriots 
----------------------------------- 
 
8. (C) Schroeder deviated from his prepared text in his 
comments on Cyprus at Marmara University, Bagger said.  The 
Chancellor told the audience that North Cyprus will be 
included in bilateral discussions of how to boost 
German-Turkish cooperation in agriculture and tourism.  He 
said he sympathizes with the Turkish desire to see North 
Cyprus treated fairly, and averred that it would be wrong to 
"punish those in Cyprus who have done the right thing while 
rewarding those who have done otherwise," a reference to the 
2004 referendum on the Annan Plan, which Turkish Cypriots 
approved and Greek Cypriots rejected.  "That's the clearest 
criticism of the Greek Cypriots that I have heard from the 
Chancellor," Bagger said. 
 
9. (C) The audience applauded the Cyprus comments, which took 
German diplomats by surprise.  Bagger said the speech went 
beyond Schroeder's statements in private meetings, and 
appeared to indicate a shift in German policy.  However, it 
is not clear whether there will be any change in practice to 
Germany's approach on Cyprus.  Bagger speculated that 
Schroeder felt the need to provide "something for the Turkish 
soul on Cyprus" after disappointing the GOT on the Armenian 
resolution and raising concerns on religious freedom. 
 
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CHP Left Out 
------------ 
 
10. (C) Schroeder did not meet with opposition Republican 
Peoples' Party (CHP) Chairman Baykal or any other CHP 
representatives.  Bagger said Schroeder's meeting with Baykal 
last year was unproductive, and there has since been 
virtually no contact between CHP and the German Social 
Democrats. 
 
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Comment 
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11. (C) Schroeder appears to have accomplished his goals, if 
only modestly.  His praise of GOT reform, and supportive 
words on Cyprus, bolster Erdogan at a time when Turks are 
beginning to question both the competence of the ruling AK 
Party and the sincerity of the EU.  The Chancellor drew very 
little criticism from either the GOT or the media for 
referring to the Patriarch as ecumenical, indicating that he 
may have won points with German church leaders while at the 
same time forcing the Turks to adjust their normally mulish 
approach to the issue. 
 
 
 
EDELMAN