Cyprus to Invite Turkish President Erdogan to 2026 EU Summit Despite Longstanding Divide.
In a rare diplomatic gesture, Cyprus announced on Monday that it will invite Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to a summit of regional leaders during its presidency of the European Union in 2026, despite decades of deep political and territorial tensions between the two nations.
President Nikos Christodoulides said the summit, planned for April 2026, will focus on regional issues concerning the Middle East and will be held as part of Cyprus’s rotating presidency of the EU in the first half of that year.
“You can’t change geography — Turkiye will always be a neighbor to the Republic of Cyprus,” Christodoulides told reporters in Nicosia. “Mr. Erdogan will, of course, be welcome at the summit to discuss developments in the region.”
The Cypriot president had made similar remarks earlier in a British podcast aired Monday, confirming the summit’s agenda and timing. The Turkish presidency has yet to respond to the invitation, according to a Reuters inquiry.
A Historic Invitation Amid Frozen Ties
Cyprus and Turkiye have not shared diplomatic relations since the island’s partition in 1974, when a Turkish military intervention followed a brief Greek-backed coup. Ankara has since supported a self-declared Turkish Cypriot state in the north, recognized only by Turkiye, and maintains a significant military presence there.
The Republic of Cyprus, led by the internationally recognized Greek Cypriot government, joined the European Union in 2004 and represents the entire island in the bloc—though its authority does not extend beyond the UN-monitored ceasefire line that divides the island.
Erdogan has never visited the southern, Greek Cypriot-administered part of the island.
Diplomatic and Logistical Challenges Ahead
While the invitation signals a potential softening in tone, the prospect of Erdogan attending a summit in Nicosia poses significant diplomatic and logistical challenges. The two countries remain far apart on the Cyprus issue, and repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have failed to produce a resolution.
Still, Christodoulides’ remarks suggest a willingness to engage Ankara in broader regional conversations, despite the lingering conflict. Whether Erdogan will accept the invitation remains to be seen.
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