European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen speaks during a media conference at EU headquarters in Brussels, Wednesday, April 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Omar Havana)
European Parliament’s rapporteur on Türkiye Nacho Sánchez Amor criticized recent remarks by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, saying it was “geopolitically flawed” to portray Türkiye alongside Russia and China as actors influencing Europe.
In a post on X, Sánchez Amor said von der Leyen’s approach was “totally inconsistent” with repeated signals in favor of stronger cooperation with Türkiye on security and defense.
Von der Leyen made the remarks at an event in Hamburg marking the 80th anniversary of German weekly Die Zeit, where she voiced support for EU enlargement and said, “We must succeed in completing the European continent so that it does not fall under the influence of Russia, Türkiye, or China.”
She also said Europe needed to think “bigger and more geopolitically.”
Sánchez Amor’s criticism focused on the inclusion of Türkiye in that framing, arguing that it clashed with the EU’s own recent messaging on closer strategic cooperation with Ankara.
