IRELAND SUPPORTS TURKEY'S EU ACCESSION PROCESS

C O N F I D E N T I A L DUBLIN 001023 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/31/2015 TAGS: PREL SUBJECT: IRELAND SUPPORTS TURKEY'S EU ACCESSION PROCESS REF: A. STATE 150087 ¶B. DUBLIN 884 AND PREVIOUS Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Jon Benton; Reasons 1.4 (B) and (D). ¶1. (C) In previous demarche discussions on Turkey, Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has expressed support for the start of Turkey's accession negotiations (ref B). This position is consistent with public positions taken by GOI officials during Ireland's EU presidency in 2004. In a January 2004 speech to the European Parliament on the Irish presidency's priorities, for example, Prime Minister (Taoiseach) Bertie Ahern said that Ireland "welcomed Turkey's efforts to fulfill the necessary criteria with a view to a decision to be taken (on accession talks) at the European Council in December (2004)." ¶2. (C) Per ref B, the DFA has seen the EU decision to commence negotiations on October 3 as dependent on two issues: continuation of Turkey's reform process and progress in normalization with Cyprus. On the first issue, Ireland acknowledges Prime Minister Erdogan's stewardship of the reform process, but has questions about how deeply rooted the reforms are, given the rapid pace with which they have been introduced. When we last spoke with the DFA regarding the Cyprus issue, the DFA noted that it was awaiting Turkey's decision to sign the Protocol extending the Ankara Agreement on the EU-Turkey Customs Union to the new Member States. We have not talked with the DFA about Turkey since it signed the Protocol, but the GOI most likely regarded the decision as an important step on the road to normalization, notwithstanding the Turkish Government's statement that signature did not imply recognition of Cyprus. We would only note that Ireland, though supportive of Turkey, is very rarely vociferous in opposing majority opinions among Member States, unless its own national interests are at stake. KENNY