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