Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman confirmed on Wednesday that he has been invited by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to attend the COP31 climate summit in Antalya next month — and that he will travel to the Turkish Mediterranean city. The confirmation came one day after Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides announced his own attendance, meaning both Cypriot leaders are now set to converge on Antalya for the 31st UN climate conference.
Two invitations, one summit
Erhurman said the invitation came directly from Erdoğan and confirmed that he would attend the summit, according to Cyprus Inform, which reported his remarks on 14 October. He added that media reports had informed him of Christodoulides’s announcement that he would attend, as customary. Reiterating a long-standing position, Erhurman said dialogue and diplomacy are always beneficial.
Christodoulides had confirmed on Tuesday night that he will attend, telling journalists he was pleased that, thanks to the decisive contribution of partners and diplomatic and political efforts conducted away from the public eye, a result had been achieved. He stressed the efforts had proceeded “without fanfare or publicity”, and that his invitation also sent messages regarding the Cyprus problem. Asked whether he expected “unpleasant surprises” at the summit, he said preparations covered every eventuality and that such developments could not be ruled out.
The dispute that shadowed the summit
The invitation issue had hung over COP31 preparations since spring. According to Politico, citing diplomats, Türkiye did not invite Cyprus to a COP31 briefing at UN headquarters in New York in March and objected when Cypriot officials attempted to attend alongside the EU delegation. In April, the EU expressed “serious concern” after Cyprus was reportedly denied a place at a COP31 meeting chaired by Turkish environment minister Murat Kurum.
According to Reuters reporting in June, Turkish diplomatic sources said Cypriot delegations had been invited to all COP31 events under UN coordination. The row flared again this month when Kathimerini reported that Erdoğan had sent personal letters to the leaders of 26 EU member states inviting them to the leaders’ meeting at COP31 on 11 November, with Cyprus initially left out. A government source then told the Cyprus News Agency that the Republic of Cyprus had received its invitation following “systematic and coordinated” diplomatic action with the support of European institutions and member states.
A summit of firsts
If the visit goes ahead, according to Turkish Minute, Christodoulides would become the first Cypriot president to travel to Türkiye since Nicos Anastasiades attended the UN World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul in 2016. Earlier visits included Makarios III in 1962 and Glafcos Clerides for an international summit in Istanbul in 1999.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when according to Turkish Minute, Türkiye intervened following a coup backed by Greece’s military junta. The internationally recognised Republic of Cyprus, an EU member, controls the island’s south, while Türkiye is the only country to recognise the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, declared in 1983. Christodoulides noted that the Republic of Cyprus would also respond to any developments, citing its membership of the 27-state European Union.
What awaits in Antalya
COP31, the 31st Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, runs from 9 to 20 November 2026 in Antalya. Türkiye and Australia are co-hosts: Turkish Environment Minister Murat Kurum has been designated the summit’s chairman, while Australian Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen is due to oversee negotiations involving political leaders. Both outlets report that additional events and agreements are expected during the summit’s 12 days, as Türkiye positions the conference as an “implementation COP” turning existing climate commitments into measurable action.
Readers can follow Watan News International’s continuing COP31 coverage as the Antalya summit approaches.
FAKTA
- Who: Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides.
- What: Both confirmed they will attend COP31 in Antalya in November 2026.
- When: Erhurman confirmed his invitation from Erdoğan on 14 October; Christodoulides confirmed his attendance on 13 October.
- Where: Antalya, Türkiye, host city of COP31 (9–20 November 2026).
- Context: A months-long dispute over Cyprus’s participation in COP31 events appears resolved through diplomatic efforts with European partners.
