Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, speaks during a plenary session at the COP31 U.N. Climate Summit, Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026, in Antalya, Türkiye. (AP Photo)
The European Union’s envoy for the Cyprus issue, Raffaele Fitto, is expected to tell Türkiye during his upcoming visit to Ankara that discussions on modernizing the customs union could resume if Ankara takes steps paving the way for the resumption of Cyprus negotiations, several Greek Cypriot reports have said.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen outlined the proposal to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres during a meeting on the sidelines of the COP31 climate summit in the Turkish province of Antalya, reports noted.
Von der Leyen also briefed Guterres on the measures the EU plans to pursue to help advance efforts to resolve the Cyprus issue.
Guterres, for his part, reiterated his intention to bring the Cyprus issue back to the negotiating table before the end of his term, the sources said.
Following her meeting with Guterres, von der Leyen held separate talks with Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides to brief him on the discussions.
Guterres had previously told Christodoulides that he would determine the timing of a trilateral meeting with Turkish Cypriot President Tufan Erhürman after returning to New York from the Philippines.
The reports also said that Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni facilitated Fitto’s planned visit to Türkiye. Fitto reportedly sought to arrange a phone conversation with Christodoulides to discuss Schengen membership.
Türkiye currently has a customs union agreement with the EU, but its status as a non-member state limits the benefits it can derive from the arrangement. Under the existing framework, when the EU concludes a free trade agreement with a third country, that country’s goods can enter the Turkish market without facing the corresponding customs duties. However, the third country is not obliged to grant the same tariff-free access to Turkish exports, creating an asymmetry in trade relations.
Meanwhile, Christodoulides was received by Guterres at the U.N. climate summit, but was not greeted by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who had left the stage shortly before the Greek Cypriot leader arrived.
Most other world leaders attending the summit in the Mediterranean city of Antalya were welcomed jointly by Guterres and Erdoğan.
Earlier, Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman was welcomed by Erdoğan at the summit, although Guterres did not greet him.
