IKV Chairperson Ayhan Zeytinoğlu made statements about Ursula von der Leyen’s re-election as President of the European Commission for the second time. Chairperson Zeytinoğlu commented on the issues that von der Leyen will focus on in her new term and highlighted their importance for Türkiye:

“President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen was re-elected as Commission President for a second term with 401 votes in the European Parliament elections. President Ursula von der Leyen played a significant role in the EU’s active stance during the COVID-19 period, the implementation of the European Green Deal, and the adoption of the new migration and asylum pact. In this respect, von der Leyen’s re-election with the support of central groups as the European People’s Party candidate is meaningful, especially for the continuation of the Green Deal. Von der Leyen announced that she will propose the ‘Clean Industrial Deal’ within the first 100 days of her tenure. Investments will be prioritized to transform the industry towards the decarbonization agenda. Additionally, the reform of the internal market, competitiveness, and defence will be among the key issues. In her speech at the European Parliament, Ursula von der Leyen repeated her support for Ukraine, called for a ceasefire in Gaza, and emphasized a two-state solution. In this regard, we see a shift from her previous stance of giving Israel a blank check to a more balanced position. An important development for Türkiye is that Ursula von der Leyen will appoint a Commissioner responsible for the Mediterranean Region. It will be a period to closely monitor as the EU becomes more active in a region where Türkiye has strategic priorities. The EU strategy for the agriculture and food sector, safer borders, the protection of democracy, and the rule of law are also among the issues Ursula von der Leyen will focus on. Regarding enlargement, von der Leyen stated that the Western Balkans, Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia have chosen freedom and that enlargement will be handled based on merit. In terms of Türkiye-EU relations, the EU internal market, the Green Deal, clean industry, agricultural policy, and developments in defence present new areas of cooperation. However, von der Leyen’s deletion of Türkiye when mentioning candidate countries reveals her distant approach towards Türkiye. It is important to ensure Türkiye’s place on the EU agenda through diplomatic efforts and reforms. Furthermore, it is necessary to participate in platforms such as the European Political Community Summit, the fourth of which was recently held in the United Kingdom, as much as possible.”