Politics · Turkey · 2 hrs ago
Cyprus president plans Turkey visit for UN climate summit
Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides plans to attend COP31 in Antalya, Turkey, next month.
If the visit goes ahead, he would be the first Cypriot president to visit Turkey since 2016.
The UN climate conference is scheduled for November 9-20, with a leaders’ summit on November 11 and 12.
Whether Cyprus would be included had become a diplomatic dispute, after concerns that Turkey might leave it out of summit events.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, and Turkey does not recognize the Republic of Cyprus government, which is internationally recognized and belongs to the EU.
Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman has also said he will attend after receiving an invitation from Turkey’s president.
The two leaders are expected at the Antalya summit if their plans proceed.
Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides says he will attend the UN climate summit in Antalya, Turkey, next month.
If the visit goes ahead, he would be the first Cypriot president to travel to Turkey in a decade.
The summit is scheduled for November 9-20, with a leaders’ meeting on November 11 and 12.
Christodoulides said diplomatic efforts helped secure his participation, which he said also carries significance for the Cyprus dispute.
The planned attendance follows controversy over whether Cyprus would be invited to the summit and its preparatory events.
- Who
- Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides plans to attend. Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman also said he would attend.
- What
- Christodoulides plans to travel to Turkey for the UN climate summit, COP31.
- When
- The summit is scheduled for November 9-20. The leaders’ summit is scheduled for November 11 and 12.
- Where
- Antalya, in southern Turkey.
- Why
- To attend COP31. Christodoulides said diplomatic efforts helped secure his participation and that it carries significance for the Cyprus dispute.
Cyprus and EU position
Turkish diplomatic sources
Invitation to Cyprus
Cyprus and EU position
Cyprus expressed concern that Turkey intended to invite only 26 of the EU’s 27 member states; EU climate commissioner Wopke Hoekstra said excluding Cyprus would be unacceptable.
Turkish diplomatic sources
Turkish diplomatic sources said Cypriot delegations had been invited to all COP31 events coordinated by the UN.
Disputed briefing
Cyprus and EU position
Cyprus’s concern formed part of wider controversy over its inclusion in summit preparations.
Turkish diplomatic sources
Turkish sources said a disputed New York briefing was organized independently of the UN climate conference process.
Cyprus expressed concern that Ankara intended to invite only 26 of the EU’s 27 member states.
Turkish diplomatic sources said Cypriot delegations had been invited to all COP31 events coordinated by the UN.
Christodoulides said he would attend COP31.
COP31 is scheduled to take place in Antalya, with a leaders’ summit on November 11 and 12.
- Planned attendee
- Nikos Christodoulides, president of Cyprus
- Summit location
- Antalya, Turkey
- Summit dates
- November 9-20
- Leaders’ summit
- November 11 and 12
- Previous Cypriot president visit
- Nicos Anastasiades attended a UN summit in İstanbul in 2016
What people are saying
Of course I will attend. The Republic of Cyprus always attends these summits.