US embassy cable - 04VATICAN3196

C O N F I D E N T I A L  VATICAN 003196 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/WE: LEVIN; EUR/SE; EUR/ERA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/18/2014 
TAGS: EU, PHUM, PREL, SOCI, TU, VT 
SUBJECT: VATICAN STILL OPEN TO TURKEY'S EU BID 
 
REF: A. 03 VATICAN 1164 
 
     B. 03 VATICAN 5666 
     C. 03 VATICAN 5748 
 
Classified By: Charge d'affaires D. Brent Hardt.  Reasons 1.5 (b) and ( 
d). 
 
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Summary 
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1.  (C) Acting Holy See Foreign Minister Parolin reaffirmed 
August 18 that the Holy See remained open to Turkish EU 
membership, notwithstanding recent critical comments by 
Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger.  Parolin emphasized that the Holy 
See's position on Turkish membership in the EU had not 
changed from the stance it has described to us in the past 
(ref a).  If Turkey meets the EU's Copenhagen criteria, 
Parolin said, the Vatican sees "no obstacle" to EU 
membership.  He clarified that Ratzinger's skeptical view of 
EU membership for Turkey reflected the Cardinal's "personal 
feeling," and did not reflect the view of the Holy See. 
Parolin acknowledged that some within the Holy See harbored 
concerns about Turkey's EU bid and its potential impact on 
the EU, but maintained that he believed these concerns could 
be addressed over time, and would not represent 
insurmountable obstacles.  He acknowledged that Ratzinger's 
statement was incorrectly seen as a Vatican position, and 
indicated a willingness to consider clarifying its formal 
position pending discussions with the Turkish Ambassador -- 
who had yet to raise the issue --  and with FM Lajolo on his 
return to Rome later this month.  End Summary. 
 
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Holy See Still Open to Turkish EU Membership 
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2.  (C) Acting Vatican Foreign Minister equivalent Monsignor 
Pietro Parolin told Charge August 18 that the Holy See 
remained open to Turkish EU membership.  He affirmed that 
recent negative comments about Turkey's EU bid by Cardinal 
Joseph Ratzinger did not reflect any change in the Holy See's 
formal position.  That position remained that, if Turkey 
fully meets the EU's Copenhagen criteria, the Vatican sees 
"no obstacle" to EU membership.  Parolin made it clear that 
Ratzinger's take on the issue was his own, and that he was 
not speaking on behalf of the Holy See.  "These were his 
personal feelings," Parolin added.  "Although he is an 
important member of the Curia, he does not speak for the 
Secretariat of State." 
 
SIPDIS 
 
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Turkey's EU Bid: Complexities, but no Great Obstacles 
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3.  (C) While Parolin discounted Ratzinger's comments -- that 
Turkey had always been "in permanent contrast to Europe" and 
that linking it to Europe would be a mistake -- as not 
reflective of Vatican foreign policy, he did allow that EU 
membership for Turkey would present challenges.  He noted the 
difficulty of European integration for a country with such a 
different cultural and religious background, citing existent 
problems with the integration of Muslims into European 
society as reason for caution when examining Turkey's EU 
hopes.  He acknowledged that there were others, including 
former FM Cardinal Tauran, who share Ratzinger's concerns. 
Tauran had suggested the EU look first to Orthodox Christian 
countries Ukraine and Moldova before addressing Turkey's 
membership.   Parolin affirmed that the Holy See's primary 
concern with Turkey's EU bid remained religious freedom, 
particularly the juridical status of churches in Turkey (ref 
a).  In his view, the "difficulties and complexities" did not 
represent an insurmountable obstacle for Turkey's EU 
membership, but rather necessary topics of reflection that 
would have to be addressed before moving forward on accession. 
 
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At Odds with Papal Muslim Outreach 
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4.  (C) Charge pointed out that as an EU member, Turkey could 
help to ease tensions between the Western and Muslim worlds, 
illustrating how a secular state with a Muslim population 
could cooperate with countries with a Judeo-Christian 
heritage.  He noted that the Pope, in his outreach to the 
Muslim world, has constantly preached the doctrine of 
inclusion and integration, even while advocating recognition 
of Europe's Christian roots.  Ratzinger's comments, by 
contrast, suggested a permanent state of conflict and 
division that appeared to run counter to the Pope's broader 
 
outreach to the Muslim world, the Charge observed.  Parolin 
acknowledged this contradiction, and indicated that he 
believed it was possible that Turkish EU membership could 
eventually help the Christian minority and others suffering 
from a lack of religious freedom in Turkey.  "We certainly 
hope for that development," he concluded.  Charge also 
pointed out that Turkey has for decades been an important 
member of NATO that had contributed significantly to the 
organization's success; there was no reason why it could not 
contribute equally to the EU. 
 
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Clarification Possible 
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5.  (C) Charge noted the public confusion generated when a 
senior Vatican official as influential as Cardinal Ratzinger 
makes a political statement on such a sensitive issue, and 
emphasized the importance of clarifying its official 
position.  In this regard, Charge passed Parolin an account 
of Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's sharply critical 
response to Ratzinger's comments, including the strong 
reaction by the Turkish and American media.  Parolin had not 
yet seen Erdogan's comments, and appeared concerned by their 
bluntness.  He also indicated his surprise that the Turkish 
Ambassador had not yet contacted him, though he said it was 
possible the Ambassador was on summer leave.  Parolin 
indicated that he would wait to hear the Turkish reaction, 
and would then discuss with FM Lajolo the possibility of 
issuing some form of clarification of the Vatican's stance. 
 
 
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Comment 
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6.  (C) As we saw most notably during the Iraq war when 
individual Cardinals offered personal criticism of USG policy 
(refs b, c), the media often characterizes the personal views 
of high-ranking prelates as "Vatican" stances.  In this case, 
Ratzinger's lofty stature in matters of Catholic theology 
made the temptation to do so even greater.  In fact, 
Ratzinger's influence in matters of faith and morals does not 
translate into direct influence upon Vatican foreign policy, 
where his expertise is much more limited.  Ratzinger has been 
a leading voice behind the Holy See's unsuccessful drive to 
secure a reference to Europe's "Christian roots" in the EU 
constitution, and he clearly understands that allowing a 
Muslim country into the EU would further weaken his case for 
Europe's Christian foundations.  In any case, the Vatican's 
official position remains one of cautious, skeptical openness 
towards Turkish integration to the EU.  In fact, the Pope, in 
his February address to Turkish Ambassador Durak essentially 
acknowledged Turkey's future in Europe, telling Durak that 
"as Turkey prepares to establish new relations with Europe," 
the Church would insist on "fundamental human rights" for 
Turkish Catholics. 
 
HARDT 
 
 
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 2004VATICA03196 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL