Media: European Commission seeks to clarify von der Leyen’s remarks on Türkiye

The European Commission has moved to clarify controversial remarks made by its President, Ursula von der Leyen, about Türkiye, Bloomberg reports.

The agency recalled that on April 19, speaking about EU enlargement, von der Leyen said the bloc “must succeed in completing the European continent so that it is not influenced by Russia, Türkiye or China.”

According to an unnamed source, Türkiye later requested clarification from the European Commission regarding how accurately von der Leyen’s statement had been reported in the media. The Commission responded that the remarks had been taken out of context.

Commission spokesperson Paula Pinho told the agency that the mention of Türkiye recognised its geopolitical influence, size, and ambitions—especially in the Western Balkans—and was not intended as a comparison with any other country.

The incident came at a particularly sensitive moment, as the EU seeks to strengthen alliances amid global instability linked to the conflict surrounding Iran, Bloomberg added.

By Jeyhun Aghazada