US embassy cable - 05ANKARA6763

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 006763 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/16/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, PHUM, OSCE, EU, TU 
SUBJECT: GOT "SATISFIED" WITH EU REPORTS, DESPITE CONCERNS 
 
Classified by Polcouns Janice G. Weiner; reasons 1.4 b and d. 
 
1. (C) Summary: MFA contacts say the November 9 EU reports on 
Turkey are acceptable to the GOT, although they have some 
objections to language relating to Greek Cypriot access to 
Turkish ports, minority language rights, and religious 
freedom.  GOT leaders have been more supportive of the 
reports than in past years, and press criticism has been more 
restrained.  Military contacts, however, have told us 
privately they are unhappy with the reports, which call for 
further reductions in the political influence of the armed 
forces.  For the first time, the EU reports characterized 
Turkey as a "functioning market economy," one of the 
requirements of accession.  End Summary. 
 
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GOT "Satisfied" With Reports... 
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2. (U) The European Commission on November 9 released two key 
reports relating to Turkey's candidacy: 1) the annual 
Progress Report, which outlines where Turkey stands in its 
efforts to meet the political and economic criteria for 
accession; and 2) the Commission's proposed update to the 
Accession Partnership Agreement, which establishes benchmarks 
for Turkey to meet in order to advance its candidacy.  The EU 
updates the Partnership Agreement periodically, to take into 
account reforms adopted by a candidate state and to set new 
goals.  The EU adopted the previous Agreement for Turkey in 
May 2003.  Unlike the Progress Report, the Partnership 
Agreement is subject to EU Council approval. 
 
3. (C) Contacts at the MFA and the Secretariat General for EU 
Affairs tell us they are satisfied with the reports, although 
they have some objections.  "There is nothing there that we 
can't live with," said Kaya Turkmen, MFA DDG for EU affairs. 
However, officials at the Turkish General Staff (TGS) have 
indicated to us that at least some in the military are 
unhappy with the reports, which raise questions about the 
role played by military leaders in political debates. 
 
4. (U) GOT leaders have been less publicly critical of the 
reports than in past years, when they bitterly objected to 
some of the report language.  FM Gul told journalists the 
reports contain some "unreasonable demands," but added that 
there is nothing in the documents that could block Turkey's 
progress toward accession.  Press reaction has also been less 
sharply critical than in the past.  In the run-up to November 
9, some media outlets warned of "harsh criticism" and "new EU 
demands" to be contained in the reports.  However, when the 
actual texts proved to be less negative than described, the 
criticism faded.  A number of columnists and TV commentators 
were supportive, calling on the GOT to address the issues 
raised by the EU. 
 
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...But Has Concerns 
------------------- 
 
5. (C) Ahmet Dogan, political affairs director at the 
Secretariat General for EU Affairs, told us the GOT is 
 
SIPDIS 
concerned about several aspects of the EU reports, including: 
 
-- Cyprus: The European Commission in its reports calls on 
Turkey to "implement fully" the Ankara Agreement Extension 
Protocol.  Dogan said EU officials have made it clear in 
face-to-face meetings that, in their view, Turkey must allow 
Greek Cypriot vessels access to Turkish ports in order to 
fully implement the Protocol.  He said there is "no chance" 
the GOT will take this step until the EU moves to end the 
isolation of the "TRNC." 
 
-- Minority Languages: The Progress Report refers to a 
February 2005 paper by the European Commission Against Racism 
and Intolerance (ECRI), which calls on Turkey to amend its 
Constitution in order to allow the teaching in public schools 
of languages other than Turkish as "mother tongues."  Dogan 
maintained that there is no common EU approach to minority 
languages, and that a number of EU members do not meet the 
standard recommended in the ECRI report. 
 
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-- Freedom of Religion: The reports urge Turkey to remove 
restrictions on non-Muslim religious groups.  Dogan averred 
that the GOT cannot fully address the concerns of religious 
minorities without removing state restrictions on the 
practice of Islam, including the headscarf ban recently 
upheld by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).  He said 
he supports the idea of expanding religious freedom, but 
believes this will involve a long, difficult process 
requiring Turkey to redefine its concept of "secularism." 
 
-- Ocalan Retrial: The GOT has adopted reforms allowing 
Turkish defendants to be granted a retrial if they win their 
appeals to the ECHR.  However, a technical loophole excludes 
a number of convicts, including imprisoned PKK leader 
Abdullah Ocalan.  The ECHR earlier this year upheld its 2003 
ruling that Ocalan did not receive a fair trial during the 
1999 proceedings that led to his conviction.  The Commission 
reports make note of this, and call on Turkey to fully 
implement the right of retrial.  Dogan averred that it is 
"not reasonable" to require Turkey to re-try Ocalan; the GOT 
is examining measures short of a full retrial that might meet 
the ECHR requirements.  The case is currently in limbo, 
because Ocalan's attorneys have not yet applied for a new 
trial. 
 
6. (C) Nevertheless, Dogan added, none of these concerns are 
show stoppers, because the Commission language is vague and 
does not require Turkey to take specific actions, such as 
amending the Constitution or opening its ports to Greek 
Cypriot shipping by a set deadline. 
 
7. (C)  Stephen McCormick, Econ/Pol officer at the UK 
Embassy, told us he sympathizes with some of Dogan's 
concerns, but said the EU will not change the text in 
Turkey's favor.  The UK hopes to have the EU Council approve 
the Accession Partnership Agreement in December, before 
Austria takes over the rotating EU presidency.  McCormick 
said the Council will probably not make major changes to the 
text, but some revisions are virtually inevitable.  At a 
November 11 EU meeting on the reports, the Greek Cypriot 
representative called the texts, "a good basis for 
discussion," indicating that Cyprus will try to toughen the 
language on access to Turkish ports.  "I think the Turks have 
learned by now that when these reports are revised, they get 
worse (for Turkey), not better," McCormick said.  GOT 
officials have had some informal input into the Agreement, 
but will not be able to directly negotiate the text. 
 
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EU Calls for Civil-Military Reform 
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8. (C) The Progress Report calls for further changes in 
Turkey's civil-military relationship.  Past reports urged 
Turkey to change the structure of the National Security 
Council, including by increasing civilian representation. 
The GOT has complied with these requirements.  This year's 
Report goes farther, indicating that military officials 
should cease the practice of commenting publicly on political 
matters.  "They want the military to just shut up," said 
Turkmen.  Some TGS officials have told us they are not 
pleased with the Commission reports, though they have not 
commented publicly. 
 
9. (C) Turkmen said the GOT cannot force military officials 
to stay out of political debates.  He said leaders of the 
armed forces have been "cautiously supportive" of the EU 
process and have accepted changes to meet its requirements. 
He is optimistic that military leaders will gradually phase 
out their political influence.  But it will take time, and 
the military will move at its own pace. 
 
10. (C) Turkmen acknowledged that military involvement in 
politics is a firmly established tradition in Turkey, and 
faces very little public opposition.  Still, he insisted that 
Turkey must end the practice.  "In a normal country, no one 
even knows the name of the chief of the General Staff," he 
stated.  "We've got to change things." 
 
 
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Good News On Econ Front 
----------------------- 
 
11. (C) On economic issues, the Progress Report brought the 
good news that the Commission, for the first time, considered 
Turkey to be a "functioning market economy."  Though the 
report walks through myriad problem areas in which additional 
reforms are needed, the Commission considered that Turkey 
meets the standard.  Because news of the EU,s upgrade had 
leaked beforehand, reaction was muted, though positive.  Some 
market analysts surmised that the EU,s affirmation of market 
economy status, combined with the October 3 opening of 
negotiations and improved fundamentals, would encourage 
rating agencies to upgrade Turkey.  The EU Commission 
Economic Counselor said she has had no reaction at all.  She 
expects there will be more of a reaction when the EU Council 
adopts the Accession Partnership Agreement, which will spell 
out a list of reforms Turkey needs to undertake. 
 
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Comment - Reports Point Toward Progress 
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12. (C) The reports highlight Turkey's shortcomings, but also 
point the way toward progress for its EU candidacy.  Apart 
from the Cyprus issue, the GOT objections focus on areas 
where Turkey faces particularly difficult obstacles, such as 
civil-military relations and minority rights.  Turkey has 
good reason to ask for EU patience on these fronts, but in 
the long run the GOT will have to find a way to address these 
issues if it intends to advance toward accession.  We hope 
that the constructive initial response of GOT leaders to the 
reports indicates that they are prepared to take on these 
challenges. 
 
 
 
MCELDOWNEY