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.

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Comment
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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