Mario Draghi, Italy’s new Prime Minister, attracted huge controversy for his statement regarding the alleged disrespect and sexism shown to the President of the European Commission, Ursula Von De Leyen, in Ankara. The controversy might just put the EU-Turkey relationship on the edge.
President Von De Leyen traveled to Ankara, Turkey with Charles Michel for a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to discuss bilateral relations between the two powers. During the meeting, Von Der Leyen was denied a chair that Erdogan and Charles Michel, her male counterparts, were given, leaving her embarrassed and standing alone in the middle of the room. Later, she settled for a sofa in the corner. During this entire time, the meeting went on as if nothing happened.
Draghi pointed out that this “sofa gate” is a manifestation of Erdogan’s withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention on violence against women. After expressing his regret towards Von Der Leyen’s mistreatment, he continued his name-calling and repeatedly used the word “dictator” in his press speech. According to Draghi, the withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention is not a purely political matter but an intended advancement of sexism, so was the disrespected Von De Leyen received in Ankara. The video of the press conference soon went viral over the internet.
After that conference, Massimo Gaiani, Italy’s ambassador to Turkey, was immediately summoned by Erdogan’s government. Draghi’s speech will possibly dent relationships between the EU and Turkey, and it will definitely not expedite Ankara’s long-awaited application for a European Union Membership.
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