European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called on European leaders on Monday to demand Turkey respect women's rights as a "precondition for resuming relations" with Ankara, following a protocol incident she faced. In a discussion in the European Parliament about the protocol incident that occurred during a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on April 6, von der Leyen stated, "I am the first woman to lead the European Commission, and I hope to be treated as the President of the Commission. This did not happen in Ankara, and this occurred because I am a woman."
Addressing European Council President Charles Michel, who was criticized for not responding, she said, "I felt offended and felt alone as a woman and as a European." Von der Leyen stood looking at the men seated, expressing her astonishment with a sigh and a gesture of disappointment, and was later seen sitting on a large sofa, away from the men, while Michel, the representative of the EU member states, and the Turkish president sat on the only available chairs.
She continued, "Respect for women's rights should be a precondition for resuming dialogue with Turkey, but it is not the only precondition. European leaders must decide during the summit in June the next path to take regarding relations with Turkey." Michel reminded that the resumption of relations with Ankara would be gradual, warning that "cooperation will be difficult to achieve if negative measures in these areas continue."
Michel’s behavior in Ankara was criticized during the discussion, but lawmakers also expressed concern about the contradictions in the positions of the two heads of the European institutions. German Manfred Weber, head of the European People's Party (right), stated that "the mission in Ankara should have been a message of strength, but it mirrored weakness." Meanwhile, French liberal MEP Nathalie Loiseau denounced human rights violations in Turkey and Ankara’s "unfriendly" steps towards EU members. She said, "Europe should not ask where it will sit, but rather how it stands on its feet."
