Türkiye, Greek Cyprus dispute over COP31 invitation issue

Ömer Bilge – ANKARA

A diplomatic dispute has emerged between Türkiye and Greek Cyprus over participation in a United Nations climate event, following a protest lodged during a promotional meeting in New York.

The incident occurred on March 27 at the U.N. headquarters where Türkiye’s Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum hosted a presentation marking International Zero Waste Day and introducing the upcoming U.N. Climate Change Conference, scheduled to be held in Antalya in November, widely referred to as COP31.

Greek Cyprus, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the European Union, objected to what it described as Türkiye’s exclusion of the entity from both the New York promotional event and the Antalya conference. Citing the EU’s institutional standing, it formally protested the lack of an invitation.

In response, Turkish officials rejected the criticism, asserting that Ankara is under no obligation to invite an entity it does not recognize diplomatically. Türkiye reiterated its longstanding position on the Cyprus issue, emphasizing that Greek Cyprus does not represent the entirety of the island.

Ankara also directed criticism toward the European Union, arguing that the bloc has forfeited its neutrality in the Cyprus dispute since admitting Greek Cyprus as a full member.

Cyprus has remained divided since 1974, when Türkiye launched an operation following a Greece-backed coup. Greek Cyprus controls the south, while the north is administered by a Turkish Cypriot state. The U.N. has maintained a peacekeeping presence on the island since 1964.

The European Union admitted Greek Cyprus as a full member in 2004, despite the island remaining divided.