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Cyprus Invited Turkish President Erdogan to EU Informal Summit, Received Negative Response

Published January 21, 2026, 10:25
Cyprus Invited Turkish President Erdogan to EU Informal Summit, Received Negative Response

The President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, revealed that Cyprus extended an invitation to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to participate in the informal EU Summit to be held in Cyprus. The invitation also included the option for the Turkish Foreign Minister or Deputy Minister for European Affairs to attend related meetings. However, the initial response from Turkey was negative, a fact that does not discourage Nicosia from its efforts to achieve positive developments in relations with Turkey. President Christodoulides emphasized that Cyprus had prepared for the possibility of a negative response and had sought mediation from other EU member states and institutions to avoid a direct rejection of the invitation. The government will not cease its efforts for dialogue and improvement of relations.