US embassy cable - 05ANKARA5932

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 005932 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/03/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, PHUM, EU, TU, EU Accession 
SUBJECT: TURKS BITTER, RESIGNED AS EU DELIBERATES - "IT'S 
UP TO EUROPE" 
 
Classified by CDA Nancy McEldowney; reasons 1.4 b and d. 
 
1. (U) Summary:  Turkish leaders across the political 
spectrum displayed wounded pride and bitter resignation on 
the eve of the planned October 3 start of EU accession talks. 
 Turkey has done its part, PM Erdogan and FM Gul stressed; 
the decision now rests with the EU.  The public mood has 
turned sour and pessimistic.  Tens of thousands of 
Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) supporters attended an 
anti-EU rally in Ankara; opposition leaders accused the GOT 
of mishandling the EU process.  Domestic pressure is mounting 
on the government and Turkish patience has run out.  End 
Summary. 
 
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Turkey Has Met Its Obligations; Now It Is Europe's Turn 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
 
2. (U) Across official circles, the mood is one of defiance, 
pride and resignation: 
 
--PM Erdogan asserted to an AKP gathering on October 2 that 
Turkey has met all its obligations as an EU candidate.  The 
EU is now "taking a test."  The EU's handling of Turkey's 
candidacy, per Erdogan, will determine whether the 
organization "will become a global actor or remain a 
Christian club."  Turkey's future, the PM stated, does not 
depend on the EU -- Turkey will not deviate from the path of 
democracy, human rights, and freedom regardless of decisions 
taken by the EU -- it will "turn the Copenhagen criteria into 
the Ankara criteria".  FM Gul, too, emphasized that the GOT 
has met its obligations; Turkey, he said would not accept any 
proposed outcome other than full membership. 
 
--Speaker of Parliament Arinc told MPs at the October 1 
official opening of Parliament that Turkey will not sacrifice 
its pride for EU membership.  "An agreement or a condition 
that would stain the honorable history of this nation would 
never be approved by this Parliament," he intoned.  Arinc 
averred that the Turkish public has a hard time understanding 
the "double standard" the EU applies to Turkey.  He also 
harshly criticized the European Parliament for calling on 
Turkey to recognize the Armenian "genocide," a crime that 
Turkey "did not commit." 
 
--President Sezer, also speaking at Parliament's opening 
session, averred that the EU contains "walls of prejudice" 
and maintained that any delay in Turkey's accession 
negotiations would be a loss more for the EU than for Turkey. 
 "The Turkish nation will not accept introduction of 
additional conditions or discrimination," Sezer said.  "The 
process has reached an irreversible stage.  Turkey is 
determined to become an EU member and it will do so by 
protecting its national interests and national pride." 
 
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Two Anti-EU Rallies Held, Pro-EU Rally Postponed 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
3. (U) A different face of defiance showed itself at an 
October 2 MHP anti-EU rally in Ankara, attended by tens of 
thousands -- the press estimated attendance at 70,000.  MHP 
President Bahceli bitterly criticized the AKP government's EU 
policy, labeling it "treason."  He asserted that the opening 
of EU accession talks would mark the "consequence of the AKP 
policy of surrender."  Approximately 3,000 supporters 
attended an October 2 anti-EU rally in Istanbul organized by 
the Turkish Communist Party. 
 
4. (SBU) Meanwhile, authorities postponed a pro-EU rally 
scheduled for October 2 in Diyarbakir, the largest city in 
Turkey's predominantly Kurdish and overwhelmingly EU-friendly 
southeast, reportedly because of a scheduling conflict with 
an industrial fair.  AMCON Adana contacts, worried that 
nationalist, anti-EU sentiment is on the rise, were 
suspicious of the governor's decision, noting that the MHP 
was permitted to hold its anti-EU event in Ankara. 
 
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Opposition Points Finger at AKP 
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5. (C) Egemen Bagis, MP from the ruling AK Party (AKP) and 
translator for Erdogan, told us October 2 that he is 
concerned about the mounting domestic pressure on AKP for its 
EU policy, not just from MHP.  He pointed to  increasingly 
strident criticism from both the left-center Republican 
People's Party (CHP) and the center-right True Path Party 
(DYP).  DYP leader Agar accused the GOT publicly of 
mishandling the EU process; Turkey, he said, cannot begin 
negotiations under unfair conditions.  CHP Vice Chairman 
Oymen emphasized that Turkey will neither accept "privileged 
partnership" as an alternative to full membership nor "make 
concessions" to the EU. 
 
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Markets React Nervously 
----------------------- 
 
6. (U) Turkish financial markets fell October 3 amidst 
uncertainties about the EU process.  At 10:30 a.m. Ankara 
time, after an hour of trading, the stock exchange had fallen 
1.75 percent, the yield on the benchmark May 9, 2007 bond was 
up from 15.05 percent at the close September 30 to 15.20 
percent, and the Turkish lira had fallen from 1.3487 to the 
dollar to 1.3635. The initial take of some market analysts 
was that they expect the EU to work out a solution, 
suggesting the sell-off will accelerate if the EU news 
worsens. 
 
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Comment: Turkish Patience Has Run Out 
------------------------------------- 
 
7. (C) Turkish pride, which always runs high, has been a 
complicating factor in Turkey's EU candidacy.  Turks tend to 
view EU-mandated reforms as "concessions", especially in 
these last, emotion-laden weeks.  The Turks have reached the 
limits of their patience, and are in no mood to accept any 
new conditions. 
 
 
 
 
MCELDOWNEY