POSITIVE FISCHER VISIT SETS SCENE FOR VISITS BY

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 000581

SIPDIS


E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/29/2014
TAGS: GM PREL TU
SUBJECT: POSITIVE FISCHER VISIT SETS SCENE FOR VISITS BY
GERMAN OPPOSITION, PM SCHROEDER


(U) Classified by Political Counselor John Kunstadter, E.O.
12958, reasons 1.5 (b) and (d).



1. (C) Summary: The Turkish MFA and the German Embassy both
characterize German FM Fischer's January 21-22 visit to
Ankara as positive. Both sides see Turkey as having made
significant progress on the Copenhagen Criteria for EU
accession but agree Turkey needs to improve implementation in
order to satisfy the Criteria. Separate February visits by
German opposition leaders and Chancellor Schroeder follow.
End Summary.


EU Is the Main Topic



2. (U) Fischer met Foreign Minister Gul for an extended
period Jan 21; his meeting with Erdogan occurred on Jan 22.



3. (C) Turkey's EU entry was the main topic of Fischer's
discussions with both Erdogan and Gul. German Political
Counselor Walter Hassmann expressed "surprise" to us at how
"unequivocal" Fischer was in telling FM Gul that the GOG
would give Turkey's EU entry "full support" if the GOT
continues along its present path on the Copenhagen criteria.
Hassmann also claimed to us that Fisher pressed hard for
Turkey to seek a Cyprus solution by May 1. MFA Western
Europe Department Head Kemalettin Eruygur averred that
Fischer gave a positive evaluation of Turkey's reforms; he
characterized the Fischer visit as a demonstration of the
GOG's developing support for Turkey's EU candidacy. He
attributed the support to a growing "strategic" GOG view of
Turkey's EU relationship as enhancing relations between
Europe and the Islamic world, and positively impacting German
internal security concerns about its Moslem residents.
(During the visit, Fischer publicly said that Turkey is more
important to European security than a "missile defense
system.")



4. (C) Both Hassmann and Eruygur said that Fischer
emphasized that Turkey still needs to improve implementation
of recent human rights legislative reforms. Fischer
specifically raised religious freedom and the case of Leyla
Zana, a former M.P. convicted of Kurdish separatism in a
controversial 1994 trial. According to Hassmann, the GOG is
focused on two German parishes (one Protestant, one Catholic)
on Turkey's southern coast that he said have experienced
continual problems from local officials. Gul expressed the
GOT's commitment to continue with the reform process.


Upcoming Opposition Visit: No "Back-Slapping"



5. (C) The next high-level German visit to Turkey promises
to be very different: CDU-CSU opposition leaders Angela
Merkel and Wolfgang Schauble visit Ankara February 15-16.
Both are skeptics about Turkey's EU membership. Hassmann
said that although Erdogan and other Turkish leaders are in
regular contact with them, their visit will not feature the
figurative "back-slapping" of the Fischer visit. According
to Eruygur, during his visit Fischer counseled the GOT to
stress to Merkel that the GOT wants nothing short of full EU
membership.


PM Schroeder Visit



6. (C) Hassmann predicted that Chancellor Schroeder's
February 22-24 visit to Turkey will feature the same types of
discussions and atmosphere as the Fischer visit. Schroeder
will inaugurate Germany's largest investment in Turkey to
date: a 1.3 billion euro power plant in southern Turkey.
DEUTSCH