US embassy cable - 04BRATISLAVA909

UNCLAS BRATISLAVA 000909 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, EU, LO 
SUBJECT: SLOVAK PARTIES AGAINST TURKISH EU ACCESSION 
 
 
Sensitive but unclassified - handle accordingly 
 
1. (SBU) Summary.  Two parties from Slovakia's four-party 
ruling coalition have voiced strong reservations about 
setting a firm date for Turkey to begin EU accession talks. 
On September 30, Speaker of the Parliament Pavol Hrusovsky 
of the Christian-Democratic Movement (KDH) said he saw "many 
reasons not to start accession talks with Turkey."  On 
October 1, Prime Minister Mikulas Dzurinda voiced the 
opinion of his Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKU), 
saying Turkey is not ready for EU membership.  During Deputy 
Secretary of State Richard Armitage's recent visit to 
 
SIPDIS 
Slovakia, GOS members were non-committal regarding Turkey's 
efforts to start accession talks, but were not overtly 
negative.  End summary. 
 
2. (U) Dzurinda, in a press conference at SDKU headquarters, 
said the SDKU wished to begin a debate among Slovakia's 
political parties about future EU accession for Turkey.  He 
made four points: 
 
-- Turkey is not yet ready for EU membership. 
 
-- SDKU has serious doubts about whether Turkey has met the 
criteria for beginning negotiations and about Turkey's 
ability to successfully complete the process.  Completing 
the process would of course mean that Turkey would be a full- 
fledged member of the EU. 
 
-- Turkey has made advancements in recent years towards 
fulfilling the political and economic criteria required for 
entry to the EU. 
 
-- The key point; SDKU will support further talks between 
the EU and Turkey, as long as the result does not lead to an 
EU commitment to accept Turkey as a member. 
 
3. (U) Dzurinda went on to list five factors on which SDKU 
based this policy. 
 
-- The current state of economic and political affairs in 
Turkey. 
 
-- The ability of the EU to absorb more members 
(particularly financially).  SDKU gives priority to Bulgaria 
and Romania, then Croatia and other Baltic states, then 
eventually Ukraine. 
 
--The fact that Turkey is a big and important neighbor of 
the European Union, and not only SDKU but all of Slovakia 
has an eminent interest in a democratic and secular Turkey. 
 
-- A desire to support positive tendencies in Turkey in the 
past years in political, economic, and human rights areas. 
 
-- The fact that talks between the EU and Turkey have been 
going on for a long time, long before Slovakia was a member. 
The SDKU takes into account the dialogue that has already 
taken place, and wants this work to continue. 
 
Dzurinda said that as soon as the SDKU learns the results of 
the EU Commission's report on Turkey, it will begin a 
dialogue with all political parties to reach as wide a 
consensus as possible within Slovakia on the issue. 
 
4. (SBU) In a September 30 press conference, Hrusovsky said 
that among KDH's main concerns about setting a date to start 
accession talks was Turkey's refusal to recognize Cyprus, an 
EU member state.  He added that he could not imagine 
negotiation on EU membership could begin until this 
situation was resolved.  Hrusovky said he would like to see 
Slovakia join the initiative by "conservative" European 
countries that proposes a privileged partnership with the EU 
rather than full-fledged EU membership.  He reportedly also 
made reference to the fact that Turkey is a Muslim country. 
Hrusovsky closed by saying that the EU has never stood 
before a more difficult task. 
 
5. (SBU) Comment: During Mr. Armitage's September 14 visit, 
Foreign Minister Eduard Kukan of the SDKU and other GOS 
officials gave little hint of the negative bias against 
Turkey's EU aspirations that have now come to light.  Within 
two weeks, the Slovak cabinet should present its official 
report on the GOS's position towards setting a date to start 
EU accession talks with Turkey.  Foreign Policy Advisor 
Milan Jezovica emphasized to emboffs that Dzurinda's 
statement was a party position, and not a government 
position.  However, the KDH's and SDKU's statements thus far 
leave little doubt what stance the GOS will take. 
THAYER 
 
 
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