Diplomatic tensions and climate talks at COP31 in Antalya

The COP31 Leaders' Summit, held in Antalya, Turkey, on November 11, 2026, became the scene of significant diplomatic friction. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan appeared to deliberately avoid greeting the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, upon his arrival, leaving UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to welcome the Cypriot leader alone. Diplomatic sources described the move as a sign of contempt toward the United Nations. Additionally, Turkish authorities had initially labeled the Cypriot delegation's vehicles as "Southern Cyprus," but replaced the signage following intervention from the European Union delegation.

On the sidelines of the summit, President Christodoulides held multiple meetings with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. These discussions centered on the Cyprus issue and the upcoming visit of EU Commissioner-designate Raffaele Fitto to Ankara on November 20 to meet with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. The EU intends to offer the prospect of upgrading the EU-Turkey Customs Union, conditional on the resumption of negotiations for a settlement to the Cyprus problem. UN Secretary-General Guterres expressed his desire to restart formal negotiations before the end of his term at the year's end, with plans to coordinate a potential tripartite meeting with the leaders once he returns from his trip to the Philippines.