Speaking one week ago European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen caused a stir when she said that if the EU fails to expand, neighbouring countries could fall under Russian or Chinese influence. Nothing out of the ordinary there; Von der Leyen and others have been making similar statements for years. What made this instance notable, however, was that she added Türkiye to the list of nefarious influencers who would make it “difficult for us”.   The Commission backtracked by issuing a statement describing Türkiye as an “important partner” and a candidate to join the bloc, but the comments are providing a fresh source for EU infighting with Charles Michel, the former European Council president, publicly criticizing von der Leyen. Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, who hosted EU leaders Thursday and Friday (Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan wasn’t invited despite Türkiye still officially a candidate country) knocked Michel.…