Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides attended a press conference after work sessions at the MED9 summit in Split on October 7, 2026. (AFP File Photo)
Greek Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides has announced that he will travel to Türkiye to attend the United Nations annual climate summit in the Turkish Mediterranean city of Antalya, marking the first visit by a leader from the island’s south in a decade.
Whether Antalya would extend an invitation to the Greek Cypriot administration for COP31 in November had been a matter of debate.
Following diplomatic contacts conducted through the European Union, Ankara sent an invitation to the Greek Cypriot side, even though it does not recognize the government in the south of the ethnically divided island.
“Of course I will attend. The Republic of Cyprus always attends these summits. I am pleased that, thanks to the decisive contribution of our partners, and following our diplomatic and political efforts conducted away from the public eye, we have achieved a result,” Christodoulides said on Oct. 13.
Makarios III, the first president of Greek Cyprus, paid an official visit to Türkiye in 1962. Glafcos Clerides attended the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Summit in Istanbul in 1999, while Nicos Anastasiades took part in the United Nations World Humanitarian Summit, also held in Istanbul, in 2016.
If Christodoulides travels to Antalya for COP31, he will become the fourth Greek Cypriot leader to visit Türkiye.
Meanwhile, Christodoulides on Oct. 13 held a meeting lasting an hour and a half with Turkish Cypriot President Tufan Erhürman in the buffer zone on the island. During the talks, the two leaders agreed to attend a festival together in Pyla on Oct. 17.
