TURKEY/EU: DUCH PM'S DEC 9 DINNER WITH ERDOGAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L THE HAGUE 003223 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/09/2014 TAGS: AORC CY GR NL PREL TU EUN SUBJECT: TURKEY/EU: DUCH PM'S DEC 9 DINNER WITH ERDOGAN Classified By: DCM Daniel Russel for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) PM Balkenende's focus at dinner with PM Erdogan in Brussels tonight, December 9, is to seek an agreement over how Turkey can adequately indicate recognition of Cyprus in the context of accession negotiations, Jochem Wiers (MFA EU Enlargement office and main drafter of accession texts for Turkey) told Poloff December 9. Turkey continues to indicate its "readiness to do something" on the issue while Cyprus continues to demand that the Council Conclusions contain explicit language on recognition, he revealed. The Dutch continue to advocate that the Turks make a "clear indication of intent to sign the protocol" by or at the December 17 Summit, whether by letter to the Commission or by a declaration. ¶2. (C) Poloff noted concern about recent press reports of PM Balkenende's having linked Turkey's signing the protocol to satisfying the recognition demands of Cyprus rather than fulfilling a Commission requirement to extend the agreement to all new member states. At first, Wiers said the PM had been misquoted and that he appreciated the sensitivity and strategy. He then stepped back a bit by adding that "everyone knows it has to do with Cyprus" and that "Turkey needed to make the right gesture to Cyprus." Poloff reiterated the USG suggestion that the medicine might go down smoother if the Turks were encouraged to move on a "Commission demand" rather than a "Cypriot one." ¶3. (C) Poloff also raised USG concern over recent press reports that falsely attributed Ambassador Kennedy with putting "unhelpful" pressure on the EU regarding the Cyprus issue. Wiers waved his hand and dismissed the press reports and said both that the Dutch are comfortable with the US position and that they do not reply to "that kind of press" which is "so often wrong." Wiers promised to relay the gist of our conversation and assurances to Hannie Pollman-Zall (MFA Director for Central and Eastern Europe and Amb. Kennedy's interlocutor at the recent US-EU COSEE). RUSSEL