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