Turkey has invited Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides to the UN climate conference COP31 in Antalya next month, backing down after strong reactions from European Union institutions and member states over his initial exclusion from meetings organized by the Turkish presidency.
The invitation marks a diplomatic setback for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government, which had initially invited the leaders of the EU’s other 26 member states while leaving Christodoulides off the list.
The move drew objections because Turkey, as host of a United Nations conference, cannot determine selectively whether the Republic of Cyprus is represented in international forums, both Nicosia and Athens have emphasized.
Nicosia confirmed receipt of the formal invitation through a government source, following reports in the Cypriot press.
The reversal followed mounting European criticism of Turkey’s handling of preparations for COP31. Earlier reports by To Vima documented Cyprus’ exclusion from informal preparatory meetings, including a briefing at the UN headquarters in New York in March. Cypriot officials and European diplomats argued that the exclusion was incompatible with Turkey’s responsibilities as host of a UN conference.
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Greek Environment and Energy Minister Stavros Papastavrou had also condemned the attempt to exclude Cyprus, insisting that all EU member states must participate in COP31 on equal terms.
A view of downtown Nicosia, near a line separating the government side from the Turkish-occupied areas.
The dispute has added to long-standing tensions between Turkey and the Republic of Cyprus, which Ankara does not recognize. Instead, Turkey continues to occupy roughly one-third of the island republic’s territory. In 1983 Ankara created and continues to prop up a Turkish Cypriot pseudo-state in the area that it militarily occupies.
The latest episode has also highlighted the EU’s insistence that Cyprus must be treated as a full member state in international proceedings, rather than excluded through unilateral decisions by the Turkish government.