GOT PAPER OUTLINES CONCERNS ON EU "FRAMEWORK"

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 003669 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SE E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/28/2015 TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM OSCE TU USEUBRUSSELS SUBJECT: GOT PAPER OUTLINES CONCERNS ON EU "FRAMEWORK" REF: A. ANKARA 3565 ¶B. ANKARA 1074 Classified by Polcouns John Kunstadter; reasons 1.4 b and d. ¶1. (C) Summary: The GOT has distributed to EU-member-state governments a paper outlining its concerns about the EU's upcoming Framework for Negotiations with Turkey. In the paper, the GOT urges the EU to adopt the Framework before the October 3 start date of Turkey's EU talks, and to avoid adding new issues not covered in the December 2004 EU Summit Conclusions. The GOT also calls on the EU not to repeat certain elements of the Summit Conclusions, but our contacts say the Turks are willing to bend on this point. End Summary. ¶2. (C) An EU contact passed us a copy June 28 of an "aide memoire" the GOT has distributed on the Framework for Negotiations. In the paper (full text below),the GOT raises concerns covered in reftel A: that Turkey wants the EU to adopt the Framework before the October 3 start date for accession talks, and does not want the Framework to include new issues not covered in the December 2004 EU Summit Conclusions. ¶3. (C) Moreover, the paper states that the Framework should not include "discriminatory" elements such as references to the possibility that "derogations" or "permanent safeguards" might to applied to Turkey, even though such language is included in the Summit Conclusions. However, our Turkish diplomatic contacts tell us in private that the GOT will accept language that matches the Summit Conclusions. ¶4. (U) The European Commission is scheduled to adopt its Framework draft June 29. The EU Council will then have to approve the document. It is widely assumed that the Council will not be able to reach agreement on the Framework at the July 18 General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC),and the next GAERC will not take place until October 3, the very day Turkey is scheduled to begin talks. The aide memoire suggests options the EU could take to adopt the Framework before October, and avoid the last-minute haggling over wording that nearly derailed the December 2004 Summit. ¶5. (SBU) The full text of the GOT aide memoire follows: -- The Commission will adopt the Framework for Negotiations for Turkey and present it to the Council for adoption towards the end of June 2005. -- Subsequently, the Council will begin a discussion first at Working Group and then at COREPER level. -- The content of this document is of crucial importance since it will be our road map in the years to come. It should not be discriminatory and not include elements such as derogations or permanent safeguards. It should also not include new issues. -- This document should be adopted well in advance of the Intergovernmental Conference that will start the accession negotiations with Turkey on October 3, 2005 in Luxembourg. -- There are two ways in which the Council may adopt this document: A) By the General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC) at its sessions on July 18 and October 3, 2005, or B) If it is approved by COREPER as an "A Point" by the Agriculture and Fisheries Council on 19-20 September, 2005. -- If the approval of this document is prolonged until the very day of the start of accession negotiations, then there is a danger of going through what took place on December 17, ¶2004. -- In order to avoid this, the Framework for Negotiations should be adopted within a reasonable time, but before October 3, 2005. -------------- Comment -------------- ¶6. (C) We believe the GOT in the end will accept language that matches the December Summit Conclusions, despite its objections to "derogations" and "permanent safeguards." Our contacts at the MFA and the Secretariat General for EU Affairs have assured us of this, and the Danish DCM told us MFA has privately given the same message to the EU. ¶7. (C) But we expect a tough, line-by-line battle over the Framework wording. The GOT's reference to "what took place" at the December Summit should serve warning. The GOT haggled aggressively with the EU over the Summit Conclusions, something candidate states are technically not permitted to do, and our EU contacts say no previous candidate has even attempted (reftel B). The result was a narrow sucess that generated no small amount of ill will toward the GOT in EU circles. MCELDOWNEY