President von der Leyen was appointed by national leaders and elected by the European Parliament after she presented her Political Guidelines. Minister of Foreign Affairs Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu was also present at the videoconference meeting. Mr Michel himself came in for criticism. Unter anderem auf Twitter wurde danach daran erinnert, dass der frühere EU-Kommissionspräsident Jean-Claude Juncker bei Treffen mit Erdogan … He added: "The president of the Commission was clearly surprised. The European Commission president met Mr Erdogan on Tuesday along with Charles Michel, the European Council president, to discuss women's rights, the EU refugee deal and general relations with Brussels. Sie hatten auch den Bürgerrechtler Osman Kavala und den Kurdenpolitiker Selahattin Demirtaş im Blick. Turkish President Erdogan HUMILIATES EU chief Ursula von der Leyen Pathetic 60 Minutes busted trying to smear Florida Gov. Ursula von der Leyen appeared confused by the lack of a third chair, Von der Leyen was forced to sit on a sofa, while her counterpart Charles Michel sat next to President Erdogan, Covid lockdown roadmap: the key dates for when restrictions will end and what rules will change, Young immigrants in French suburbs bear brunt of police violence, Hong Kongers heading to Britain under new visa scheme to be offered help with housing and education, RAF clears IS stronghold in Northern Iraq, German military launches new recruitment drive with pledge troops will not have to fight abroad, pictures of Mr Erdogan with Jean-Claude Juncker and Donald Tusk. 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Karoline Edtstadler, Austria's EU minister, condemned the "absolutely unacceptable [...] disrespectful behaviour", while Violeta Bulc, a former transport commissioner, called the meeting "a humiliating demonstration of equality" and "a diplomatic fiasco". This meeting follows a two-day summit in March where Brussels and Ankara decided to strengthen cooperation on trade and the refugee crisis in a “phased, proportionate and reversable” manner. Von der Leyen and Michel to meet Erdogan. During his time in office, Mr Juncker said that "Europe would be easier to understand if one captain was steering the ship", although national leaders have mostly snubbed the idea. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel will meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan today. Ursula von der Leyen, Charles Michel to hold talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan yenisafak.com EU Commission, Council heads to visit Turkey on April 6 Christian Kern, a former chancellor of Austria, called the president "a joke", while Sophie in 't Veld, a Dutch legislator, questioned why he had remained silent. Ursula von der Leyen has suggested Turkey was guilty of sexism in failing to provide her with a seat at a meeting with president Recep Tayyip Erdogan. © Autonomous Nonprofit Organization “TV-Novosti”, 2005–2021. European Commission chief also sends signal to Athens that asylum rights must be respected. The president's relegation was on Wednesday condemned by EU figures past and present, and prompted SofaGate to trend on social media. This website uses cookies. If you like this story, share it with a friend! Ursula von der Leyen bei Recep Tayyip Erdogan. EU-Turkey relations: von der Leyen and Michel meet with Erdogan 2021-03-19T16:32:51.972Z In Europe, a videoconference took place this Friday, March 19, between the Turkish President on the one hand, the President of the Council and the President of the European … EC - Audiovisual Service - European Union. But the agenda was overshadowed as the two leaders were forced into a moment of diplomatic awkwardness that resembled a game of musical chairs. Von der Leyen jedenfalls ließ sich von der Sitzordnung nicht irritieren, in der Pressekonferenz folgte scharfe Kritik! Speaking on Wednesday, Ursula von der Leyen’s spokesperson, Eric Mamer, said his boss should have been treated equally to European Council President Charles Michel during a meeting which saw the European Commission president left sitting alone on a sofa during their meeting with the Turkish leader. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen says she wants a working agreement with Turkey on refugees and migrants. His social media team appeared to be unaware of the controversy over the video of the meeting, as it was tweeted out to the president's 1.1 million followers. She was born and raised in Brussels to German parents. European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen held a teleconference with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday (March 19th). as Mr Michel, without hesitation, took his place at Mr Erdogan's side. The EU’s top two officials head to Turkey on Tuesday to lay out to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan the bloc’s conditions for improved ties after a dip in tensions. “The president of the Commission was clearly surprised and that is something you can see from the video,” von der Leyen’s spokesperson noted, adding that protocol suggests the European Commission chief should be treated in exactly the same way as the European Council president. The incident has already been dubbed ‘Sofagate’ online, and has undoubtedly led to a stern ticking off for the EU’s protocol team. Ursula Von der Leyen's fury after she was consigned to a sofa as President Erdogan and EU council president sat down in two main seats before talks on WOMEN'S rights in Turkey “We underlined the importance of sustained de-escalation and of further strengthening confidence building to allow for a more positive EU-Turkey agenda,” Von der Leyen tweeted. En vídeo, las imágenes de la incómoda escena que se produjo antes de su reunión este martes. Europese Commissievoorzitter Ursula von der Leyen voelt zich ronduit vernederd door de Turkse president Erdogan, die bij een topontmoeting dinsdag in Ankara voor haar geen stoel klaarzette. Also present at the 45-minute meeting were Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, Communications Director … Von der Leyen was in Turkey alongside EU council president Charles Michel (left) for talks with Turkish president Erdogan (centre) Credit: Alamy 4 Ursula von der Leyen … But Mamer said von der Leyen decided against making “an issue out of it,” and she didn’t mention the diplomatic gaffe in the post-meeting press conference. March 29, 2021 3:53 pm European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council chief Charles Michel will meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan next week. "Ehm" is the new term … Biden administration may resume some construction on Trump’s border wall, media says, UK pauses AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine study on children as drug regulator investigates blood clot risk among adults, Fail Hydra! But, in a sign that relations are improving, the EU said in a statement after a videoconference between von der Leyen and President Tayyip Erdogan on Friday that they had discussed the possibility of her visiting Turkey. Mrs Von der Leyen later said "human rights issues are non-negotiable" but did not comment personally on the chair incident. In a later shot, von der Leyen can be seen seated on a nearby sofa. Her father, Ernst Albrecht, was one of the first European civil servants. Ahead of talks with Turkey’s leader, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Monday the EU … The gaffe may reignite calls for the two presidential positions to be merged into one job. Seeking to build on renewed momentum for better ties, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has met with top EU officials. The 45-minute meeting was also attended by Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, Communications Director Fahrettin Altun and Presidential Spokesman Ibrahim Kalin. Footage which emerged on Tuesday after the two EU leaders met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan shows von der Leyen looking visibly perplexed by the absence of a third chair at the flag-flanked top table. Footage which emerged on Tuesday after the two EU leaders met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan shows von der Leyen looking visibly perplexed by the absence of a third chair at the flag-flanked top table. DeSantis Dutch PM Rutte BUSTED in a lie, survives no-confidence vote despite censure Sputnik is live from Ankara, Turkey, where European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel are holding a press conference following negotiations with Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. 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She … Von der Leyen is a member of the centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its EU counterpart, the European People's Party (EPP). "Ehm" is the new term for "that’s not how EU-Turkey relationship should be". Mr Erdogan's decision to cancel Turkey's involvement in the Istanbul Convention, an international treaty combating violence against women, was discussed in the meeting. “We expressed very clearly to President Erdogan our commitment to move forward on these issues, provided that it is reciprocal,” von der Leyen said after about 40 minutes of talks. We rely on advertising to help fund our award-winning journalism. #GiveHerASeat#EU#Turkey#womensrightspic.twitter.com/vGVFutDu0S. Shameful," wrote Iratxe Garcia Perez, a Spanish MEP. At the start of the Ankara meeting, Mrs Von der Leyen - the first female president of the Commission - was left visibly perplexed as Mr Michel and Mr Erdogan took the only two chairs available in the centre of the room. Asked whether the seating snub had given Mrs Von der Leyen a taste of life as a woman under Mr Erdogan's government, Mr Mamer replied: "Obviously, this sharpened her focus on the issue.". Von der Leyen senza sedia da Erdogan, sdegno Ue: “Doveva andare via” Benifei (Pd): «Avrebbe vendicato così anche le donne turche, i cui diritti sono oggi sotto attacco» "First they withdraw from the Istanbul Convention and now they leave the president of European Commission without a seat in an official visit. High on the agenda for the meeting was women’s rights, after the Turkish leader recently withdrew from the now ironically named ‘Istanbul Convention’, an international treaty on the prevention of violence against women and domestic abuse. The EU Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen and EU Council President Charles Michel will pay a rare visit to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan aimed at testing his commitment to improve uneasy ties. Erdogan spoke on Friday via videoconference with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council head Charles Michel. Due to Covid-related travel restrictions, the Commission's protocol experts were unable to attend the meeting. Ausra Maldeikiene, a Lithuanian MEP, tweeted that "if the president of Turkey came to my house I would find him a chair, even though he is a man". Michel-von der Leyen in Turkey on 6 April by Erdogan 2021-03-29T12:31:30.741Z "Next week, on Tuesday 6 April, the President of the European Council Charles Michel and the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen will go to Turkey for a meeting with President Erdogan". The EC president can be heard muttering “Ehm” and gesturing at the two men seating themselves at the head of the room. These guidelines were inspired by her discussions with the parliament’s political groups, as well as by the European Council’s strategic agenda for 2019-2024. Ursula von der Leyen has suggested Turkey was guilty of sexism in failing to provide her with a seat at a meeting with president Recep Tayyip Erdogan. However, Ms in 't Veld referred to pictures of Mr Erdogan with Jean-Claude Juncker and Donald Tusk, the two previous EU presidents, in which both were given equal billing. European Council diplomats insist that proper protocols were followed during the meeting. All rights reserved. Video footage picked up the German politician saying "erm?" Ursula von der Leyen, Charles Michel y Recep Tayyib Erdogan, en la reunión mantenida ayer. Austritt sei "das falsche Signal", kritisierte von der Leyen bei der anschließenden Pressekonferenz, an der Erdoğan nicht teilnahm. Seats were laid out for Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the EU’s Charles Michel in Ankara but von der Leyen had to sit on a sofa. Menschenrechtsfragen seien "nicht verhandelbar", betonten die beiden EU-Spitzenpolitiker. Extra measures are now being put into place to make sure Mrs Von der Leyen is not subjected to the same treatment during other overseas tours. Jesmond Saliba-April 6, 2021 8:01 AM. Eric Mamer, Mrs Von der Leyen's spokesman, said "the protocol level of our president is exactly the same as that of the president of the European Council" and she "should have been seated in exactly the same manner as the Council and Turkish presidents". We urge you to turn off your ad blocker for The Telegraph website so that you can continue to access our quality content in the future. Read RT Privacy policy to find out more. She does consider that these issues are important and need to be treated appropriately, which they clearly were not.". The pair will travel to Turkey on April 6, Michel’s spokesman Barend Leyts said Monday. Von der Leyen wants ‘workable agreement’ with Erdoğan on migration. By. The spokesperson for the European Commission president said the EU leader was surprised to be left without a chair during a meeting with the Turkish president, and hoped the incident would not be repeated.