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President Nikos Christodoulides took Cyprus’ seat at the U.N. climate summit in Antalya on Wednesday, a rare appearance by a sitting Cypriot president in Turkey, which does not recognize the Republic of Cyprus. The two countries’ relationship was on display before the talks even began.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres greeted Christodoulides shortly before 11 a.m. local time at the Antalya Expo Center. The two shook hands, posed for photos, and spoke briefly. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the summit host, was absent for the greeting under the protocol arrangements, the Cyprus News Agency reported. Earlier, Erdogan had welcomed Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman.
Even getting to Antalya took a detour. Christodoulides traveled via the Greek island of Rhodes on Tuesday. Three sitting Cypriot presidents had previously visited Turkey during their terms, most recently his predecessor, Nicos Anastasiades.
The summit also gave Christodoulides a chance to raise the Cyprus issue on Turkish soil. He met European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on the sidelines Wednesday for talks that covered the island’s division and relations between the EU and Turkey. The meeting came two days after the island’s leaders agreed in U.N.-brokered talks to open two new crossings.
Christodoulides was scheduled to address the two-day leaders’ summit later Wednesday. Government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis said the president would back the EU’s push for stronger climate action and urge countries to follow through faster on their commitments under the Paris Agreement.
How Cyprus secured its invitation
A month before Christodoulides arrived in Antalya, Cyprus was the only EU member whose leader had been left off Erdogan’s invitation list. Kathimerini reported that the Turkish president had sent personal letters to the leaders of the other 26 EU countries, prompting Nicosia to seek help from Brussels.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Antonio Costa and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas raised the issue with Ankara, Kathimerini reported. Nicosia also signaled it was prepared to take the dispute to EU leaders. A Cypriot government source told the Cyprus News Agency that coordinated pressure from EU institutions and member states helped secure the invitation.
The compromise came on Oct. 9. Turkey’s COP31 organizers sent a fresh round of invitations through Brussels to the leaders of all 27 EU member states, including Christodoulides. The new invitations went out by email and carried no signature from Erdogan. That arrangement brought Cyprus to the leaders’ summit in a country that still does not recognize the republic.
