MORE TURKEY TIDBITS

C O N F I D E N T I A L STOCKHOLM 000692

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/05/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV TU CY EUN SW
SUBJECT: MORE TURKEY TIDBITS

Classified By: PolCouns Marc Koehler for reasons 1.4. (B) and (D).

(C) On the margins of a think tank conference entitled "Still
Headed West: Turkish Foreign Policy in Transition," PolOff
spoke privately with Swedish MFA Turkey Desk Officer Peder
Spangberg. Spangberg told PolOff:

--Cyprus FM Kyprianou is making a diplomatic push in EU
capitals to influence the decision on the EU's response to
the Additional Ankara Protocol Review at the December GAERC.
He is pushing to punish Turkey, according to Spangberg, with
Kyprianou saying, "We cannot continue the status quo."

--The Swedish MFA is trying to push back, saying that this is
not the "status quo": 19 chapters of accession are blocked,
there are on-going senior level visits and dialogue, and
diplomatic protocols are being signed. Spangberg said the
Swedes are finding that Kyprianou's message is resonating
with those countries who have "not remained on top of
on-going Cyprus events."

--Sweden has been trying hard to open the Environment
chapter. The benchmark report on Turkey was prepared by the
Commission and discussed by Member States November 3. After
much discussion, all Member States but Greece and Cyprus
agreed to pass the benchmark report to Ankara. But without
unanimity, the report was placed on "silent procedure," which
meant that it would be passed to the Turks unless a country
objected by noon on November 4. At 11:00AM November 4, the
Greeks called the Swedes and said, "We will not break the
silent procedure." At 11:50AM, the Cypriots broke the silent
procedure, and at 12:30PM, the Greeks called and said they
too wanted to break silent procedure.

--As a result, the benchmark report was not passed to Turkey.
The Swedes are currently trying to force the Cypriots and
Greeks to "put their cards on the table," asking on what
technical grounds they are objecting to passing along the
benchmark report.

--Spangberg said that unless the benchmark report is passed
soon, Sweden will not be able to open any chapters during
their EU Presidency. "Things are changing minute-by-minute."

--According to Spangberg, the French MFA has been very
positive and helpful on the message of "rolling over
negotiations" to next year.

--On Wednesday, November 4, Hakan Emsgard, Head of the EU
Department of the Swedish MFA, led a DVC with the British FCO
to discuss strategy on Turkey. At the end of the DVC,
according to Spangberg, Emsgard said, "We really need to talk
again with Washington around the end of the month."

--The Swedish ambassadors to Nicosia and Ankara are in
Stockholm for a Swedish MFA meeting on Friday November 6,
with Turkish MFA Undersecretary Sinirlioglu.

--Turkey's EU negotiator Bagis will be meeting Swedish
Foreign Minister Bildt on November 13 in Stockholm, according
to both Spangberg and the Turkish POL Counselor.
BARZUN