Former European Council President Charles Michel on Wednesday expressed support for Türkiye and appeared to question recent remarks by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen that grouped the NATO member alongside Russia and China as influential actors.
In a post on X, Michel highlighted Türkiye’s strategic importance and called for continued engagement.
“Türkiye is a core NATO ally, a key migration partner, an energy corridor, a major defense actor on Europe’s flank, and a serious regional power,” Michel wrote in his post tagging von der Leyen. “Europe doesn’t get stronger by applying double standards or simplifying reality.”
Michel’s remarks followed the European Commission president’s remarks at an event marking the 80th anniversary of the newspaper Die Zeit in Hamburg on Monday. Von der Leyen mentioned her support for EU enlargement and said: "We must succeed in completing the European continent so that it is not influenced by Russia, Türkiye, or China."
Von der Leyen drew criticism from Turkish officials who said the characterization did not reflect the country’s status as a key partner and NATO ally.
Ömer Çelik, the spokesperson for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), said
von der Leyen’s approach reflected a lack of vision and risked increasing tensions in the Balkans.
“Von der Leyen’s statement is something that should be seen as a manifestation of a lack of vision,” Çelik said, adding that framing the issue in such terms could “trigger more fault lines and produce stress in the Balkans.”
He also criticized the characterization of Türkiye as a rival, saying it revealed a deeper contradiction in the EU’s approach. “Seeing Türkiye, a candidate country, as a competitor of the European Union is a grave mental and political contradiction,” he said, adding that Türkiye has long promoted a peace-based and integrative vision for the Balkans.
EU officials later sought to ease the tensions, stressing Ankara’s strategic role and significance for Europe, underscoring ongoing cooperation.
"Türkiye is unquestionably an important partner in the region both economically and politically, including in strategic areas such as the Connectivity Agenda, with the Trans-Caspian Middle Corridor where Türkiye is a key anchor in the region, and on migration management where Türkiye is a long-standing partner," said a Commission spokesperson Tuesday.
The spokesperson added: "Türkiye is also an important NATO ally and EU candidate country, and as such, a key interlocutor."
