Ursula von der Leyen ‘snubbed’ in chair gaffe on EU trip to Turkey

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was taken aback to find her fellow top EU official taking the only chair available next to Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan when the duo visited Ankara, her spokesman said on Wednesday. Footage from their meeting on Tuesday showed the first female head of the EU executive, the only woman in the talks, gesturing in disbelief and uttering a surprised sigh as Erdogan and European Council President Charles Michel took the two centre-stage seats prepared, relegating her to an adjacent sofa. “The president of the Commission was clearly surprised,“ said the EU executive arm’s spokesman, Eric Mamer. The Turkish government did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In the past, three chairs were provided when the Turkish leader visited Brussels for talks with the heads of the Commission and the European Council, which collectively represents the bloc’s 27 member states. Mamer said von der Leyen decided to emphasise substance over form and in the conver