Turkish President avoids meeting Cypriot leader at UN climate summit in Antalya

On November 11, 2026, the two-day UN Climate Summit began in Antalya, Turkey, attended by leaders including Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides. During the arrival ceremony, a notable incident occurred when Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan departed the reception area just before Christodoulides arrived. Consequently, the Cypriot President was greeted solely by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Diplomatic sources and media reports describe Erdogan's exit as a deliberate and choreographed move to avoid a handshake with Christodoulides, with some officials labeling the act as a display of disrespect toward the United Nations.

Following the incident, Christodoulides and Guterres held a brief discussion regarding the event. Despite the friction, Guterres reportedly provided assurances that he intends to communicate with both leaders to facilitate a tripartite meeting before the end of November. During the summit, President Christodoulides also held a side meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Meanwhile, Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman was seen earlier at the venue being greeted by Erdogan prior to the Secretary-General's arrival, though his current whereabouts remained unclear to reporters throughout the morning.