ESTONIA CONTINUES SUPPORT FOR TURKISH EU ACCESSION

C O N F I D E N T I A L TALLINN 000267 SIPDIS FOR EUR/NB-KATHERINE GARRY FOR EUR/SE TURKEY DESK AND EUR/ERA ACTING POL DEPUTY DIRECTOR JEFF GIAUQUE E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/18/2017 TAGS: PGOV PREL TU EU EN SUBJECT: ESTONIA CONTINUES SUPPORT FOR TURKISH EU ACCESSION Classified By: CDA Karen Decker for reasons 1.4 (b) & (d). REF: STATE 79278 ¶1. (C) On July 28, Poloff met with Piret Urb, Turkey Desk Officer at the Estonian MFA, to discuss recent developments in Turkey's EU accession negotiations (reftel). Urb reiterated the Government of Estonia's (GOE) consistent, strong support for EU enlargement, including vis-a-vis Turkey. Urb stated that during a July 16 EU enlargement working group meeting in Brussels, participants concluded there is nothing the EU can do and members must simply wait for the AKP trial verdict. Urb said she does not believe the EU will rush into any decision, and noted member states are trying to avoid suspension of accession negotiations with Turkey. Estonia does not support suspension, Urb emphasized, and relations between Estonia and Turkey have been and will continue to be strong. Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip visited Turkey in March of this year and the Turkish Foreign Minister visited Estonia last June. Currently, the GOE and GOT are discussing plans for a visit by the Turkish President to Estonia this October, but the trip is dependent on the outcome of the court proceedings against the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). DECKER