EU officials vent anger over Turkey’s ‘deliberate’ snub to Ursula von der Leyen

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, centre, and EU Council President Charles Michel arrive for a joint news conference after talks with Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in Ankara (Burhan Ozbilici/AP)

Gender equality issues took centre stage in Brussels a day after Ursula von der Leyen, one the EU’s most powerful executives, was treated like a second-rank official during a visit to Ankara.

Ms von der Leyen, the European Commission president, and European Council chief Charles Michel visited Turkey on Tuesday for talks with Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan focusing on the EU-Turkey relations.