Days after she uttered a warning against “Turkish influence” in Europe, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is still the talk of the town in Turkish politics.
Devlet Bahçeli, leader of the government ally Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), criticized von der Leyen on Tuesday during his party's parliamentary group meeting. “These words are not a blunder. It is a reflection of arrogance and double standards toward Türkiye hidden in this mindset,” Bahçeli said.
In remarks at an event in Germany’s Hamburg, the European Commission president has 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." She drew criticism from Turkish officials who said the characterization did not reflect the country’s status as a key partner and NATO ally.
Bahçeli noted that critics of von der Leyen in Europe pointed out the error of her remarks by citing that they were “geopolitically incorrect” and “detached from reality.” “Same critics reminded her that Türkiye was a key ally for Europe’s security, a vital line for energy and resources and a crucial partner for migration management and regional balance.”
“This is not a basic polemic. We see that Europe does not have a mental grasp of understanding Türkiye. For years, the European Union has distanced itself from Türkiye in terms of membership. They wagged their fingers at Türkiye under the pretext of teaching it norms and harmony, and as soon as their geopolitical needs emerged, they sought to treat Türkiye as a buffer in terms of an energy corridor, transportation line and security partnership. Yet, while speaking on equality, they reverted to their arrogant ways. This is politically immoral and lacks strategic thinking. This rhetoric will not lead to partnership, sincerity or a climate of trust,” he said.
Bahçeli emphasized that Türkiye stands at the very center of geopolitical knots, as a key point and gateway.
“The issue is not where Türkiye stands, but where the European Union is drifting. The issue is not Ankara’s direction, but Brussels’ hypocritical politics. The issue is not Türkiye’s stance, but the distorted, opportunistic and hypocritical European mindset that seeks to exclude Türkiye when convenient and use it when necessary.”
“We are the Republic of Türkiye, the embodied state of a great civilization whose roots reach deep into Asia, whose branches extend toward the European horizon, and whose shadow falls upon Africa. Those who try to confine us to a narrow space still fail to comprehend that great nations cannot be understood through maps. Türkiye is a friend, but its friendship is not something open to humiliation.
“Our direction has been shaped over centuries within a great historical line that engages with the West, knows the West, confronts it when necessary, and negotiates with it when required. Neither Brussels nor European bureaucracy can tell us where we come from, nor can they define the path Türkiye will follow. The extent, framework and depth of Türkiye’s relations with Russia, China, the Turkic world, the Islamic world, Europe and other global centers cannot be determined by fanaticism. Europe cannot do without Türkiye, neither in security, energy, migration management, transportation, nor in establishing a regional balance, but Türkiye is history, a state, memory, geography, a center, and a reality even without Europe.
"We hope that Europe will confront this ingrained arrogance embedded in its mindset. It should conduct its self-assessment not with slogans, but with reality. It should renew its language toward Türkiye not based on interests, but on rationality,” he said.
