30.04.2026 16:20
AK Party Spokesperson Ömer Çelik, following his party's Central Executive Committee meeting, evaluated the current agenda and reacted to the remarks by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and French President Emmanuel Macron targeting Turkey. Çelik stated, 'While we have an alliance relationship in NATO, the discourse that pits Turkey against it is wrong. Mr. Macron said NATO experienced brain death and then stepped back from this stance. We see that France is exhibiting an unnecessary audacity.'
AK Party Spokesperson Ömer Çelik made evaluations regarding the agenda after the party's Central Executive Board (MYK) meeting.
Çelik reacted to the statements by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and French President Emmanuel Macron targeting Turkey.
The relevant section of Çelik's statements is as follows:
MACRON'S CHALLENGE TO TURKEY
"We are closely following France's statements. While we have an alliance relationship in NATO, rhetoric that pits Turkey against them is wrong. Mr. Macron said NATO was experiencing brain death and then stepped back from that stance. We see that France is exhibiting an unnecessary audacity.
They should be incentivizing stability in Syria. They need to speak more clearly about the attacks by the US and Israel on Iran. They are talking about forming an alliance with Greece. Such attitudes benefit neither France nor Greece. What benefit do these attitudes have for NATO alliance? (Regarding Greece) At the end of the day, everyone leaves, and we are left alone.
We tell Greece not to involve third parties and to create the capacity to solve their own problems, but unfortunately, they resort to side roads. When they leave the highway, they unfortunately fall into the ditch. Standing alongside the Zionist network is their own business. In international matters, they do not stand on the right side of history. France should abandon these and address its alliance relationship with Turkey on a basis of reality.
REGARDING LEYEN'S ANTI-TURKEY REMARKS
Of course, we also made a political assessment. We closely follow developments in foreign policy. As you know, regarding the Russia-Ukraine war, Gaza, and other crisis areas, currently, amidst many alliance systems over Iran, while alliances between countries are cracking, there are debates about NATO. The European Union is experiencing many internal debates. The EU cannot act as a whole in these crises. Of course, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen made a very unfortunate statement. She mentioned some countries, including Turkey, stating that their influence on Europe should be prevented and that European integration should be achieved in this way. Of course, this is a very fundamental statement showing why the European Union is in its current state. Considering a candidate country like Turkey as an opponent is very important in showing the true intentions of those who constantly knock on our door regarding migration and security. Of course, this was not a secret. But the fanatical practices regarding the negotiation of chapters, non-rule-based practices, and blockages on progress in other matters actually always showed us not an Enlightenment Europe, but a Christian club Europe. We have been issuing warnings about this.
Now, it is not just Turkey-EU relations that face the consequences of this. The EU is experiencing this in the Russia-Ukraine war, the results of its own contradictions. We see its erratic behavior regarding Gaza. We see its ineffectiveness and dysfunction regarding the Iran conflict. Of course, what needs to be asked here is to von der Leyen: As an EU Commission President, what are the ideological foundations of this double standard towards a candidate country? Secondly, it is always said that the European Union became an economic power but never a political power. It could not become a strategic power. Today, as seen, for example, in the NATO issue, it is a union that cannot even ensure its own security. While all this is being debated, von der Leyen's attempt to curb the influence of Turkey, a candidate country, clearly shows why the EU is in its current state.
Another issue is this: if Turkey is such a great power that it will dominate the entire Balkans and Europe, normal political logic would require cooperation with Turkey. In the subtext of what von der Leyen said, she actually confesses that Turkey is this great power. Right? With this confession, she actually speaks not of a growing Europe or a principle-based Europe, but of a shrinking Europe buried in its own bureaucracy. But the difference between Turkey and the other countries she mentioned is that Turkey is a candidate country. A candidate country for the European Union. If you see it as powerful enough to dominate the Balkans, then the right thing is to cooperate with this candidate country. They are far from this vision, but we hope they achieve it."