Newsroom
In a rare and unexpected exchange, President Nikos Christodoulides spoke with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday during the European Political Community Summit in Tirana, Albania.
The brief conversation took place on the sidelines of the summit and focused on the long-standing Cyprus issue and Turkey’s relationship with the European Union.
According to the Cyprus News Agency, President Christodoulides told Erdogan that meaningful progress — both on resolving the Cyprus problem and improving EU-Turkey relations — depends on open communication between the two leaders.
He also pointed out that the recent appointment of an EU envoy to the Cyprus issue shows that the European Union is ready to get more involved and that this moment should be seized.
“It’s up to us now,” Christodoulides reportedly told Erdogan, stressing that dialogue is the key to moving things forward.
Erdogan, for his part, is said to have responded positively, expressing support for dialogue and confirming Turkey’s interest in strengthening its ties with the EU.
While the exchange was brief and informal, it comes at a time when international attention on Cyprus is growing once again, and both sides appear to be testing the waters for possible steps toward renewed talks.
