• EU, still controversy on the 'sofagate'.

    Ankara: "Protocol was followed"

  • Turkey.

    No armchair for Ursula von der Leyen: it is 'sofagate' for Erdogan

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08 April 2021A protocol incident at the official lunch during a visit to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who allegedly embarrassed EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen a second time, was thwarted by Europeans before the leader arrived in the hall .



The table had been set for five people on each side, with two armchairs of honor, one for the President of the European Council, Charles Michel and one for Erdogan, sitting opposite each other.

A small chair was reserved for von der Leyen to Michel's right, which was replaced at the last moment.  



The EU ambassador was expected to sit at Erdogan's table next to von der Leyen, while two of his diplomatic advisers were to the left of Michel.

In practice, the protocol was prepared as if von der Leyen were part of Michel's delegation, and not the head of a European institution.



To repair the new protocol incident, the President of the Commission was assigned an armchair like those of Michel and Erdogan and a seat was added for a member of his staff, so much so that while on Erdogan's side there were five seated, on the European side there were six of them.



The 'sofagate'

It is not the first time that Turkey has welcomed a guest.

The protocol applied in the negotiations in Turkey was respected 'and' the seating arrangement was agreed in accordance with the requests of the European Union '.

This was stated by the Turkish Foreign Minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, according to a statement taken by Cumhuriyet about the official meeting in Ankara where the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, was left without a chair.  



The Protocol Office of the European Council intervenes on the 'sofagate' to explain its version of the facts.

"On April 5, 2021, a preparatory meeting took place between the presidential protocol service of the host country and the EU side for the meeting. The Council protocol service was present, while the European Union delegation was not present who had organized the meeting, with the exception of the regional security officer. There was also a security officer from the president of the Commission. The protocol service of the Commission was absent, which generally deals with the missions carried out by the president of the Commission ", he explains. the protocol office of the European Council.



"A brief visit to the premises took place, but the meeting and dining rooms were not accessible, despite our requests, as they were deemed too close to President Erdogan's office," the office explains. 



Ppe calls for debate

The president of the Socialists and Democrats group in the European Parliament, Iratxe Garcìa Perez (Psoe), asked for "a plenary debate with the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and with the President of the European Council Charles Michel to clarify what happened "in Ankara and on" how to respect the EU institutions ".

The same Spanish policy reports this via social networks.

"Relations between the EU and Turkey are crucial. But EU unity and respect for human rights, including women's rights, are also fundamental," she concludes.