Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06ANKARA562
2006-02-09 11:52:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Ankara
Cable title:  

FRENCH FM DOUSTE-BLAZY IN ANKARA: PLAYING TO TWO

Tags:  PREL ECON FR TU EU 
pdf how-to read a cable
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ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 091152Z FEB 06
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3045
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHYE/AMEMBASSY YEREVAN PRIORITY 1184
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J-3/J-5// PRIORITY
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEUITH/ODC ANKARA TU//TCH// PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEUITH/TLO ANKARA TU PRIORITY
RUEHAK/TSR ANKARA TU PRIORITY
RUEHAK/USDAO ANKARA TU PRIORITY
RHMFISS/CDR USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 000562 

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E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/09/2016
TAGS: PREL ECON FR TU EU
SUBJECT: FRENCH FM DOUSTE-BLAZY IN ANKARA: PLAYING TO TWO
DOMESTIC AUDIENCES


Classified By: Classified by PolCouns Janice Weiner, Reasons 1.4 (b),(
d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 000562

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/09/2016
TAGS: PREL ECON FR TU EU
SUBJECT: FRENCH FM DOUSTE-BLAZY IN ANKARA: PLAYING TO TWO
DOMESTIC AUDIENCES


Classified By: Classified by PolCouns Janice Weiner, Reasons 1.4 (b),(
d)


1. (C) Summary: During a February 1-2 trip to Ankara, French
FM Douste-Blazy reminded GOT leaders that France had
supported the opening of EU accession talks with Turkey,
despite opposition from the French public. The French FM
recommended that the French and Turkish governments work
together to improve Turkey's image in Europe, and he urged
the GOT to continue political reforms. Douste-Blazy said the
EU expects Turkey to meet its obligations under the Customs
Union, including opening its ports to Greek Cypriot vessels.
Turkish FM Gul told the French FM that legislation pending in
France to outlaw denial of the 1915 Armenian "genocide" would
undermine academic discussion of the topic. Both the MFA and
the French Embassy believe the visit went both better than
expected and better than was reflected in the press. End
summary.

--------------
"Important, Delicate" Visit
--------------


2. (C) French FM Douste-Blazy's trip to Ankara was the first
such visit by a French FM in two-and-a-half years, according
to French Embassy contacts, who characterized it as
"important and delicate". Douste-Blazy thought long and hard
about whether and when to come to Turkey because of the
French domestic overlay. He travelled with both journalists
and a substantial trade delegation, including some of
France's top businessmen, in an effort to demonstrate to the
French public that ties with Turkey are real, tangible and
economically necessary for France. Travel with such a
business entourage was a first for Douste-Blazy, according to
the French Embassy.


3. (C) Douste-Blazy met with Turkish FM Gul, both one-on-one
and in a group. Gul also hosted a dinner, in which he
included Treasury Minister and chief EU negotiator Babacan
and Health Minister Akdag. (Note: Douste-Blazy is a former
Health Minister, per our Embassy contact, and he and Akdag
exchanged views on Avian Influenza and other issues. End
note.) President Sezer also received the French FM. PM
Erdogan met with Douste-Blazy and his business delegation,

and Babacan had a separate meeting as well.

--------------
Turkey-EU
--------------


4. (C) One focus was Turkey-EU. Douste-Blazy's main message
was to remind the GOT that French President Chirac had given
unambivalent support to the launch of Turkey's EU accession
negotiations. Opening accession talks with Turkey was a
French policy goal, but the subject of difficult domestic
debates in France. The French FM provided Gul a lengthy
explanation of why French voters had rejected the EU
constitution, the debate at home, and the need to show the
average Frenchman that Turkey's EU accession would represent
an economic opportunity, not a burden. Gul responded that,
in the end, it would be up to French public opinion - via
referendum - whether or not Turkey could join.


5. (C) Ozgur Cinar, first secretary at the MFA Europe
Department, told us Douste-Blazy emphasized the fact that a
majority of the French public opposes EU accession for
Turkey. The French FM recommended that the French and
Turkish governments work together to improve Turkey's image.
He advised Turkey to take Spain as a model. When Spain began
its accession process, he said, most Frenchmen viewed it as a
poor neighbor whose membership would bring no benefits to
France. However, as bilateral trade increased, French
officials were able to sell Spanish membership to the public.



6. (C) In public, the French FM praised the GOT's progress on
the Copenhagen Criteria, describing the GOT as reformist in
nature. In meetings, however, he stressed the need to
continue down the path of reform. He reminded the Turks that
the EU was not a free trade zone, but rather a community of

ANKARA 00000562 002 OF 003


values. Reforms must continue, aimed at all regions of the
country.


7. (C) Douste-Blazy further emphasized the need for
additional Turkish reforms by attending a breakfast for
Turkish civil society representatives at the French Embassy.
The guest list included prominent authors and academicians
currently facing court cases under Article 301 of the Turkish
Penal Code. The French continue to follow these cases
closely, our Embassy contact noted, a point Douste-Blazy
conveyed to Gul. Gul did not play down the difficulties; he
said there were problems with the new Penal Code, but added
that, to date, there has been neither sentencing under
Article 301 nor appeals pronounced. If, he told
Douste-Blazy, it appears the spirit of the reform is in
danger, the GOT will have to amend the article.

--------------
Cyprus
--------------


8. (C) The Embassy characterized Douste-Blazy's presentation
of Cyprus-EU as "different in order" than UK Foreign
Secretary Jack Straw's. The French FM's pitch consisted of

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telling the GOT that:

--The EU expects Turkey to fulfill its Customs Union
obligations to ratify the extension protocol and open Turkish
ports and airports to the Republic of Cyprus, full stop;

--The EU's September 21 declaration (Note: The EU's counter
declaration to the GOT's earlier declaration on Cyprus. End
note.) states that the EU will assess Turkey's progress
toward fulfilling its obligations in 2006; and

--To the French populace, it is inexplicable that an EU
candidate country can refuse to recognize an existing EU
member.


9. (C) Our French Embassy contact described the subsequent
Cyprus discussions as quite confused. The French FM
reiterated France's support for the resumption of
negotiations toward a lasting settlement, and the good
offices mission of the UNSYG. Douste-Blazy also encouraged
the Turks to make a unilateral gesture, but made no direct
reference to Gul's plan, unveiled January 24. Our contact
characterized Gul as disappointed that the French did not
welcome the plan, but the French FM did not want to raise
false expectations. If at the end of 2006 this has not
moved, we were told, it will present a real problem.

--------------
Iran
--------------


10. (C) Douste-Blazy raised Iran with Gul, but the topic was
not discussed in deail. The French FM's overall message was
that it is very important to send a unified, firm message to
Iran in the present context, and that Turkey has a useful
role to play. He also stated that referring the matter to
the UNSC would not close the door on futher IAEA diplomacy;
it would depend on the Iranians. Gul responded that the
Turks support the EU-3, and are sending that message to
Tehran. He pledged to phone Iranian FM Mottaki to again
convey this message.

--------------
Economics
--------------


11. (C) On the economic front, GOT interlocutors discussed
their latest interest in nuclear energy with the French
delegation, as well as a number of important investments.
The French lauded the Turks for their response on Avian
Influenza, but the optics back in France - the poor people
with their few chickens, officials stuffing chickens into
sacks - again did not play well. Cinar said French officials
and businessmen expressed an interest in investing in energy
and transportation projects in Turkey. A good Embassy
contact told us that PM Erdogan, however, challenged the

ANKARA 00000562 003 OF 003


French FM on the importance of buying European, reportedly
telling the FM that Turkey had bought Airbus and asking
rhetorically what that had gained them.

--------------
Armenian "Genocide" Bills
--------------


12. (C) Cinar said Gul raised the issue of the bills pending
before the French Parliament that would outlaw denial of the
Armenian "genocide." Gul argued that scholars disagree over
whether the massacre of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire at
the end of World War I constituted genocide, and averred that
if French legislators adopt the bills they would be
preventing an open debate on the subject. Douste-Blazy
replied that Parliament was unlikely to adopt the
legislation, and in any case the French Government would work
to ensure that the issue does not undermine bilateral
relations.

--------------
Visit Was "Better Than Expected"
--------------


13. (C) Cinar said MFA officials found the visit to be more
positive than they expected, a point the French Embassy
echoes. GOT leaders, and the Turkish public, tend to view
the French as the primary obstacle to Turkey's EU accession.
Nevertheless, the French delegation delivered the message
that if bilateral cooperation is expanded, the two
governments can erode popular opposition to Turkey in France.
WILSON