Cyprus president discusses EU-Turkey relations following Ankara meeting

On July 9, 2026, Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides held telephone conversations with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa. These calls followed a dinner meeting held the previous night in Ankara between the EU leadership and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. President Christodoulides was briefed that the EU clearly communicated to Turkey that progress in bilateral EU-Turkey relations is directly linked to substantial progress on the Cyprus issue. Government spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis emphasized that Ankara's obligations regarding Cyprus are also its European obligations. The Cypriot government maintains that any multilateral meeting must focus on the substance of the issue to lead to a definitive resolution rather than being an end in itself. President Christodoulides also briefed leaders of political parties EDEK, DIPA, and the Greens on these developments. While Turkey has expressed interest in improving ties with the EU, the Cypriot government insists that the actual demonstration of political will in the Cyprus negotiation process remains a mandatory prerequisite for such progress.