European Parliament members today demanded an explanation from the two leaders of the European Union for a diplomatic scandal that has been snowballing, as EU Executive Committee President von der Leyen met with the Turkish president without a seat in the chamber.
The diplomatic indiscretion, dubbed “Couchgate” by netizens, has led to a series of allegations about Turkey’s attitude toward women and the EU, sexism in the EU and political wrangling within EU institutions.
Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on the 6th, when this awkward scene occurred. Only two male leaders’ seats were prepared at the scene, and Von der Leyen could only sit on a sofa in distress.
Spanish MEP Iratxe Garcia Perez, president of the Socialists &Democrats group, the 2nd largest party group in the European Parliament, tweeted: “The EU-Turkey relationship is crucial. But EU solidarity and respect for human rights, including women’s rights, is also crucial.”
She said she had asked for a dialogue with von der Leyen and Michel to “get to the bottom of the facts and what to do to respect EU institutions.”
Manfred Weber, president of the right-of-center European People’s Party, told news outlet Politico that the trip to Ankara had become a “symbol of disunity” among top EU officials.
Turkey said today that the EU was to blame for Von der Leyen’s lack of a seat. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said it was “unfair” to criticize the outside world for accusing Turkey of being responsible for the diplomatic blunder.
Cavusoglu told reporters: “This is the seating arrangement as suggested by the EU. We wouldn’t have revealed this fact if Turkey hadn’t been blamed by all sides.” He said, “During the meeting, we fulfilled the requests and suggestions made by the EU side, and the meeting was conducted in a courteous manner.”
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