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Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said recent remarks by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen were “unfortunate,” adding that the issue has since been addressed through diplomatic channels.
Speaking at Oxford University, Fidan said, "The president's remarks were unfortunate; we have necessary communications, so I think we have fixed it, corrected it."
His comments came in response to a speech delivered by von der Leyen earlier this week in Hamburg, where she marked the 80th anniversary of the newspaper Die Zeit.
Addressing EU enlargement, von der Leyen said: “We must succeed in completing the European continent so that it is not influenced by Russia, Türkiye, or China.”
Meanwhile, Omer Celik, deputy chairman and spokesperson of Türkiye’s ruling Justice and Development (AK Party), strongly criticized the remarks.
Celik said grouping Türkiye with Russia and China was a “manifestation of visionlessness” that could create new tensions in the Balkans.
He added that the European Union’s “entire political springs have run dry” and argued that Brussels is incapable of producing a coherent vision even for the Balkans.
The exchange highlights ongoing tensions between Ankara and Brussels over EU enlargement and regional influence, particularly in the Western Balkans.
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