Turkish public relations maneuvers to elevate Erhurman to the status of head of state, a move that Tayyip Erdogan had planned from the outset by inviting the Turkish Cypriot leader to Antalya for the United Nations Environment Summit.
No such invitation had initially been sent to Nicosia, a move Ankara was ultimately compelled to make following EU intervention, resulting in Nikos Christodoulides arriving in Antalya last night and being greeted at the airport by Turkey’s Director of Protocol
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Today, however, during the cultural program of the opening ceremony, the Turkish Cypriot leader, accompanied by his wife, sat in the front row of dignitaries, just a few seats away from Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, while Nikos Christodoulides was seated in the second row.
This was preceded by a warm handshake as Tufan Erhüman was welcomed by the Turkish President, though the United Nations Secretary-General was conspicuously absent.
Tayyip Has Left
As host of the UN Climate Conference, Tayyip Erdoğan did not seem all that hospitable. Shortly before Nikos Christodoulides arrived at the spot for the customary handshake photo, the Turkish President left, leaving António Guterres alone to welcome the President of the Republic.
The Turkish President’s behavior came as no surprise to the Cypriot delegation, which characterized the incident as disrespectful and contemptuous toward the United Nations.
During his exchange with Nicos Christodoulides, Antonio Guterres conveyed to him his intention to contact both sides in the coming days to set a date for the trilateral meeting, which, according to reports, is expected to take place before the end of November on European soil.
During his time at the Leaders’ Summit, the President of the Republic also met with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, with whom, in addition to the Cyprus issue, discussed European affairs and the path toward Cyprus’s full integration into the Schengen Area.
Early in the afternoon, the Cypriot delegation departed from Antalya for Dublin, where the President of the Republic will participate in the proceedings of the European Political Community and the informal European Council.
Watch the report by Iakovos Iakovou:
