President Christodoulides and Tufan Erhurman to attend COP31 summit in Turkey

Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman are scheduled to attend the UN COP31 climate change summit, held in Antalya, Turkey, on November 11–12, 2026. President Christodoulides’ attendance marks the first visit of a Cypriot head of state to Turkey in a decade, following the 2016 visit by then-President Nicos Anastasiades. The participation of the Cypriot President was secured following intensive diplomatic efforts by Nicosia and European partners, after Ankara initially attempted to exclude the Republic of Cyprus from the guest list.

Following the confirmation of Christodoulides' attendance, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan extended an invitation to Tufan Erhurman, which he confirmed was received on July 14. While both leaders will be present at the summit, officials have noted that this participation is primarily focused on climate policy rather than a formal resumption of negotiations regarding the Cyprus problem. President Christodoulides stated that Nicosia remains prepared for any eventuality, noting that the Republic of Cyprus intends to respond through appropriate diplomatic channels if necessary, while Erhurman emphasized that diplomacy and dialogue remain beneficial.