VZCZCXRO0101
OO RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHNP RUEHROV RUEHSL RUEHSR
DE RUEHSM #0692 3091403
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 051403Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4851
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE

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