The Turkish official says the European Commission President’s comments frame Turkey as an adversary despite its EU candidacy and NATO alliance.
AKP spokesperson Ömer Çelik has described recent remarks by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Turkey as an “expression of a lack of vision”.
Speaking to Turkish media, Çelik criticised von der Leyen’s reference to the need for Europe to “complete its integration so that it is not affected by Russia, Turkey or China”. He argued that such an approach treats Turkey as an adversary, despite being a candidate country for EU membership and a NATO ally.
Çelik said the European Union is moving away from a values-based approach to integration, pointing to what he described as internal contradictions in EU positions on issues such as the Russia–Ukraine war and the crisis in Gaza.
He also maintained that Turkey acts as a stabilising force in the Balkans and reiterated the position of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan that Europe cannot become a global power without Turkey’s accession.
Çelik added that Ankara would continue to promote a European perspective based on shared values, arguing that “the main problem of the European Union is its own lack of vision”.
Source: CNA