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Cyprus's Christodoulides to Attend COP31 in Turkey, First Visit in Decade
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In brief
Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides has confirmed he will attend the COP31 UN climate summit in Antalya, Turkey, from November 9 to 20, 2026 — the first time a Cyprus leader has set foot in Turkey in roughly a decade. The visit follows weeks of dispute over Ankara's initial exclusion of Cyprus from summit preparations, resolved after pressure from the European Union.
Confirmed attendance at COP31
President Nikos Christodoulides said on Tuesday he will attend the COP31 United Nations Climate Change Conference, which runs from November 9 to 20, 2026, in the Turkish Mediterranean city of Antalya, according to the Cyprus Mail. "Of course I will attend. The Republic of Cyprus always attends these summits," he said, adding that diplomatic efforts to secure his participation had proceeded "without publicity or fanfare."
COP31 is co-hosted by Turkey and Australia, with Turkish Environment Minister Murat Kurum serving as conference chairman and Australian Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen leading the political negotiations, Kiprinform reported. Turkish outlet Yeni Şafak reported that high-level sessions involving world leaders are scheduled for November 11–12.
A dispute over exclusion
According to ToVima, Turkey's government had initially invited the leaders of the European Union's other 26 member states to COP31-related events while leaving Christodoulides off the list. ToVima and Cyprus Mail both reported that Cyprus had earlier been kept out of preparatory meetings, including a briefing at UN headquarters in New York. ToVima said the exclusion reflected Turkey's non-recognition of the Republic of Cyprus government.
The exclusion drew criticism from European institutions. ToVima reported that Greek Environment and Energy Minister Stavros Papastavrou said all EU member states must take part in COP31 on equal terms. Turkey subsequently sent Nicosia a formal invitation, which the Cypriot government confirmed receiving, ToVima reported.
Christodoulides said the invitation also carried messages relating to the Cyprus problem, though he did not elaborate further, according to Kiprinform.
First visit by a Cyprus leader in a decade
Turkish outlets Haber7, Yeni Şafak and Milliyet reported that, if the trip goes ahead as planned, Christodoulides would be only the fourth Cypriot leader on record to visit Turkey since 1962, and the first since 2016 — a gap the outlets put at roughly ten years.
| Leader | Year | Occasion |
|---|---|---|
| Archbishop Makarios III | 1962 | Not detailed in sources |
| Glafkos Klerides | 1999 | OSCE Summit, Istanbul |
| Nikos Anastasiadis | 2016 | UN World Humanitarian Summit, Istanbul |
| Nikos Christodoulides | 2026 (planned) | COP31 climate summit, Antalya |
Why Cyprus and Turkey don't have normal relations
Cyprus has been divided since July 1974, when a coup aimed at union with Greece was followed by a Turkish military intervention that left Turkish forces in control of roughly a third of the island by mid-August of that year, according to Wikipedia's summary of the dispute. In November 1983, Turkish Cypriot authorities in the north unilaterally declared the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus; the UN Security Council called on member states not to recognise it, and no country other than Turkey has done so.
Because Ankara does not recognise the Republic of Cyprus government, Turkish media, including Yeni Şafak, Milliyet and Haber7, refer to Christodoulides using the Turkish-language label for the Greek Cypriot administration rather than as Cyprus's president. ToVima likewise noted that Turkey's recognition dispute was the direct cause of the COP31 invitation standoff.
What is not yet confirmed
None of the sources report a confirmed bilateral meeting between Christodoulides and Erdoğan; the visit centres on the multilateral COP31 agenda rather than direct Cyprus-Turkey talks. Asked about possible complications around his attendance, Christodoulides said, as quoted by Cyprus Mail, that Nicosia was "preparing for any eventuality" without specifying what that might involve.
Questions
- Is this a bilateral state visit between Cyprus and Turkey?
- No. Christodoulides is attending COP31, a UN climate summit co-hosted by Turkey and Australia in Antalya; no bilateral meeting with President Erdoğan has been confirmed in the reporting reviewed.
- Why does Turkey not recognise Cyprus's president as a head of state?
- Turkey has not recognised the Republic of Cyprus government since the island's 1974 division and instead recognises the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, declared unilaterally in 1983 and recognised by no other country, according to Wikipedia's account of the dispute.
- When and where is COP31 taking place?
- COP31 runs from November 9 to 20, 2026, in Antalya, Turkey, co-hosted with Australia, according to Kiprinform.
- Why was Cyprus initially excluded from COP31 preparations?
- Turkey does not recognise the Republic of Cyprus government, and ToVima reported that Cyprus had been left off invitations to preparatory events; Turkey reversed course after EU pressure, including criticism from Greek Environment and Energy Minister Stavros Papastavrou that all member states must take part on equal terms.
- How many times has a Cyprus leader visited Turkey before?
- Turkish media report three prior visits — Makarios III in 1962, Glafkos Klerides at the 1999 OSCE Summit in Istanbul, and Nikos Anastasiadis at the 2016 UN World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul — making Christodoulides's planned trip the fourth.
How the world is telling it
- TurkishTurkish outlets such as Haber7, Yeni Şafak and Milliyet frame the trip primarily as a historic first visit in ten years and the fourth-ever by a Cypriot leader, focusing on the Antalya program and schedule. They refer to Christodoulides via Turkey's official non-recognition terminology for the Greek Cypriot administration rather than as Cyprus's president, and give less prominence to the EU pressure that preceded the invitation.
Sources
- Cyprus Mail — "Christodoulides: 'Of course I will attend' Cop31 summit in Turkey"
- ToVima — "Ankara 'About-Face', Invites Cyprus President to COP31 After EU Pressure"
- Kiprinform — "Christodoulides confirms attendance at Cop31 in Turkey despite recognition dispute"
- Yeni Şafak — "Rum lider Hristodulidis Türkiye'ye geliyor, programı belli oldu"
- Milliyet — "Rum lider Antalya'ya geliyor"
- Haber7 — "10 yıl sonra ilk ziyaret! GKRY lideri Türkiye'ye geliyor"
- Wikipedia — "Cyprus problem"
This piece was prepared with artificial intelligence and passed an automated source check before publication. If you see an error, ask for a correction. Request a correction or reply · How we make this
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