US embassy cable - 03ANKARA2872

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 002872 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/01/2013 
TAGS: MARR, PREL, TU, NATO 
SUBJECT: APRIL 29 BELGIAN MINI-SUMMIT: TURKS SHARE OUR 
CONCERN OVER SUMMIT'S OUTCOME AND STATEMENT 
 
REF: STATE 109725 
 
 
(U)  Classified by Political-Military Counselor Stuart Brown. 
 Reasons 1.5 (b) and (d). 
 
 
1.  (C)  On May 1, Polmiloff, drawing on reftel talking 
points, briefed MFA/NATO Department Second Secretary Esra 
Dogan on USG concern over the April 29 Belgian mini-summit 
Joint Statement.  Dogan, who had also been briefed earlier 
that day by the UK Embassy, said she was not surprised by the 
mini-summit's outcome, though she had hoped that the Germans 
would have played a role in working for a more "conciliatory" 
Joint Statement.  Dogan said the GOT shares our concern and 
is very disappointed and worried that "things are not going 
in the right direction."  She explained that the French and 
Germans at an April 23 Convention on the Future of Europe 
Working Group on Defense submitted proposals along the same 
lines as the April 29 Joint Statement.  Dogan said that these 
French/German proposals will be finalized at the Convention's 
next meeting on May 15.  Turkey, as an aspiring EU member, 
participates in the Convention and its working groups.  Thus, 
Dogan said that Turkey's EU Mission in Brussels has been in 
close contact on this issue with the UK and hopes that 
together their two countries can positively moderate the text 
of the Convention's final paper. 
 
 
2.  (C)  Dogan went on to say that the Convention's final 
paper does not have too much significance, as it reflects a 
varied and large group including parliamentarians and 
representatives from all aspiring EU candidates.  The real 
decision on the EU's efforts to establish its own security 
and defense identity will be decided at the EU's 
Intergovernmental Conference, in which Turkey is not invited 
to participate.  When this debate eventually takes place, 
Dogan expects that the UK and the Dutch will fight to water 
down any language that is at odds with long-standing NATO 
commitments and the "Berlin-Plus" framework between NATO and 
the EU approved in March. 
PEARSON