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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 001747 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT ALSO FOR EUR/SE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/08/2019 
TAGS: PGOV PREL TU EU CY
SUBJECT: TURKEY: EU TROIKA PRESSES ANKARA ON CYPRUS 
 
REF: A. ANKARA 1586 
     ¶B. ANKARA 1568 
 
Classified By: POL Counselor Daniel O'Grady, Reasons 1.4 (b,d) 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY.  The Turkey-EU Troika meeting on November 26 
in Istanbul focused on Turkey's EU bid, but made reference to 
Turkey's unwillingness to implement the Ankara Additional 
Protocol.  (The Swedish Embassy passed us their final report 
on this meeting but emphasized that not all EU members had 
received a copy and asked that the document be kept close 
hold.)  FM Davutoglu stressed that Turkey looks forward to 
future cooperation with Spain and underlined Turkish efforts 
on three major issues concerning Turkey's EU accession bid: 
Cyprus negotiations, the National Unity Project (formerly 
known as the Democratic Opening initiative), and 
normalization of relations with Armenia.  The EU, for its 
part, touched on Turkey's relations with Greece, the Balkans, 
South Caucuses, and Iran.  Overall, the bulk of the 
discussion concentrated on Turkey's EU aspirations.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (C) The EU Troika was led by Swedish FM Carl Bildt, State 
Secretary Diego Lopez Garrido (incoming Presidency), 
Ambassador Marc Pierini (EU Commission), the Council 
Secretariat, and team members.  The Turkish delegation was 
headed by FM Davutoglu and Minister of State for EU affairs 
and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis.  The Turkish delegation 
said that Turkey is determined to fulfill the opening 
benchmarks of Chapter 5 (Public procurement); Chapter 8 
(Competition); Chapter 12 (Food safety, veterinary and 
phytosanitary policy); and Chapter 19 (Social policy and 
employment) in the near term.  (Note: Turkey's timeframe is 
most likely referring to the Spanish presidency, which begins 
on January 1, or Belgium presidency.  End Note)  Turkey, 
however, stressed that the lack of progress on Chapter 15 
(Energy) was disappointing, as its opening is in the mutual 
interest of both Turkey and the EU.  Davutoglu stressed that 
any decision taken by the December Council that would hamper 
the accession process would have a negative impact on reform 
efforts and Cyprus talks.  (Note:  On November 19 we met with 
the Turkish EU Secretariat Director of Sectoral Policies, 
Erol Saner, whose directorate is in charge of ushering 
internal reforms on Chapter 25; Chapter 27 (Environment); 
Chapter 21 (Trans-European networks); and Chapter 14 
(Transport policy).  Saner said that his office does not 
expect that Chapter 15 will meet opening benchmarks anytime 
soon because of Cypriot objections and is instead focusing on 
other chapters.  End note) 
 
¶3. (C) Both the EU and Turkish delegations referred to the 
Cyprus negotiations, acknowledging that ongoing talks have a 
bearing -- whether directly or indirectly -- on Turkey's EU 
accession aspirations.  The EU Troika encouraged Turkey to 
make progress on the Ankara Additional Protocol.  Full, 
non-discriminatory implementation of the Protocol was a 
contractual obligation for Turkey and should be honored.  The 
EU regretted that Turkey had not fulfilled this obligation or 
made any progress towards normalization of relations with 
Cyprus.  The Turkish delegation responded that Cyprus is a 
separate issue from the accession negotiations and cannot be 
a precondition.  It repeated its well-known views on the 
Direct Trade regulation and the isolation of the Turkish 
Cypriot community, emphasizing that creating artificial 
deadlines for the Additional Protocol implementation was not 
helpful.  Turkey, however, said it supported an island 
negotiation process aimed at a solution comprising a 
bicommunal, bizonal federation with political equality as 
defined by relevant Security Council resolutions, and 
reaffirmed its support for the joint statement made by the 
leaders of the two communities on May 23, 2008.  The Turkish 
side also stated a deal could be reached in the first months 
of 2010 if the process speeds up. 
 
¶4. (C) FM Davutoglu said that the EU process and reforms will 
continue, but warned that anti-Turkish statements issued by 
some European leaders undermined support for the EU in 
Turkey.  Separately, Saner indicated that there is much 
frustration within Turkey because a date has not been set for 
accession, which has led to a loss in some public support. 
To ease this issue, Saner said the Turkish government and the 
EU Secretariat are preparing to launch a new initiative to 
 
ANKARA 00001747  002 OF 002 
 
 
energize its EU bid in January 2010.  Saner said that the new 
strategy includes the Turkish EU Secretariat's enlargement, a 
revamped communications strategy, and logo.  For example, he 
said, the Secretariat should soon have a staff of 340 people, 
most of them experts, whereas it started in 2001 with only 60 
people. 
 
¶5. (C) COMMENT:  We gather from our Swedish colleagues that 
the Troika made a sincere run at their Turkish hosts for 
movement on the Ankara Protocol, but found little resonance. 
Our soundings at the MFA have been similar.  Although the EU 
warns that Ankara should brace for increasing criticism from 
the EU, sparked by the Greek Cypriots, at the EU Heads of 
Government meeting December 10-11, the Turks remain 
unimpressed and unmoved.  The perception that the EU 
accession process is already stalling is diminishing the EU's 
credibility. 
Silliman 
 
           "Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at http://www.intelink.s 
gov.gov/wiki/Portal:Turkey"