Historical state visits of Cyprus Presidents to Turkey

On November 22, 1962, Archbishop Makarios, the first President of the Republic of Cyprus, traveled to Ankara in an effort to address emerging constitutional tensions. He was transported on the personal aircraft of Turkish President Cemal Gursel and was received by Gursel and Prime Minister Ismet Inonu. Despite the high-level reception, the visit was marred by protests from Turkish students who heckled the presidential motorcade. The diplomatic mission failed to produce significant progress, and roughly one year later, the 1963-64 intercommunal clashes erupted, leading to a permanent deterioration in bilateral relations.

Following the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus, there was a prolonged hiatus in high-level state visits. It took 37 years for another Cypriot President to visit Turkish soil. In November 1999, President Glafcos Clerides traveled to Istanbul to attend the Summit of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). This event marked the first time since the invasion that a Cypriot leader engaged in diplomatic proceedings within Turkey, occurring as the Republic of Cyprus was actively pursuing its integration into the European Union.