Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu explained the competition in the EU that the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, was left without a chair during a visit to Turkey.
Ursula von der Leyen, along with the head of the European Council, Charles Michel, was on a visit to Turkey, where she held talks with President Tayyip Erdogan. At the same time, the organizers provided only two chairs for a photo session of the participants of the negotiations against the background of the flags of the European Union and Turkey. They were occupied by the President and the head of the European Council.
Ursula von der Leyen, despite her equal status with Charles Michel, was forced to sit on a sofa to the side. The head of the EC expressed the opinion that such an oversight is connected with the fact that she is a woman.
According to Cavusoglu, the scandal over the protocol has greatly upset the Turkish side.
“Von der Leyen is wrong to link the incident to the fact that she is a woman. We have a very high role for women, and we have a special respect for the head of the EC. But if they have problems with their protocol, then let it not cast a shadow on Turkey, “ the diplomat said.
The Turkish Foreign Minister stressed that the reason for the incident was “ competition in the EU between the European Council and the European Commission.”
