US embassy cable - 05ANKARA2893

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 002893 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/21/2015 
TAGS: CH, PREL, SU, MARR, MOPS, TU, EUN 
SUBJECT: APPROACHING THE EU IN ADVANCE OF THE MAY 23 GAERC 
FOREIGN MINISTERS MEETING 
 
REF: STATE 90085 
 
Classified By: Political Counselor John Kunstadter; reasons 1.4 (B) and 
 (D) 
 
1.  (C) As part of Embassy Ankara's ongoing effort to advise 
the Turkish MFA of USG positions vis-a-vis the European 
Union, we delivered reftel demarche to MFA European Union 
Directorate Political Affairs Department Head Hakan Akbulut, 
who initially asserted that Turkey had parallel attitudes as 
the EU on various issues.  Akbulut promised to forward reftel 
demarche to relevant MFA departments and noted that Turkey 
already participates in various EU initiatives and 
statements. 
 
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China 
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2.  (C) Akbulut averred Turkey is aware of the dynamic of 
U.S.-EU-China relations.  He conceded that Turkey will have 
to make a difficult political decision regarding China while 
claiming that Turkey is making an effort to adopt EU policy 
positions.  He commented that Turkey had not participated in 
the three EU statements on China in the past year. 
 
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ESDP 
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3.  (C) Akbulut stated that Turkey had already supported the 
EU statement concerning European Security and Defense Policy 
(ESDP) framework.  He confirmed that Turkey supports a close 
relationship between NATO and the EU but alluded to 
difficulties by pointing out that the EU wants "Southern 
Cyprus" to participate in regional security arrangements as 
well. 
 
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Sudan 
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4.  (C) Akbulut claimed that Turkey supports the U.S. 
position. 
EDELMAN