No matter how much Erdogan tried to sideline Nicos Christodoulides in Antalya through political maneuvering, the Republic of Cyprus makes it clear that he ultimately failed, as Christodoulides was treated from start to finish as the leader of a sovereign state on Turkish soil.
The Turkish President’s efforts to elevate Tufan Erhürman to the status of leader of the so-called Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus were blatantly obvious, as were the symbolic gestures he chose to make, thereby undermining the Republic of Cyprus.
VIKTORAS PAPADOPOULOS—Director of the Office of the President of the Republic “And
this was an act of contempt outside the diplomatic framework. The Republic of Cyprus was present and thriving there.”
The Turkish press is attempting to justify Erdoğan’s provocative departure during the reception for Nikos Christodoulides, by citing the Greek Cypriot side’s hostile stance toward Turkey.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
Alpha poll: Christodoulides wins in all election scenarios
VIDEO: Military helicopter crashes in Turkey, four dead
A HABER: “Taking
into account the Greek Cypriot side’s recent policy toward Turkey and the political, military, and economic cooperation it is pursuing with countries in the region that are opposed to Turkey, the Greek Cypriot side’s stance here is not very friendly.”
With a touch of irony, the Daily Sabah newspaper describes a most gracious Erdogan in his role as host.
Daily Sabah: “President
Erdogan exchanged warm greetings and posed for selfies, while one of the guests, Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides, missed the opportunity to shake hands.”
During the reception, a person can be seen gesturing to the President of the Republic to wait, apparently until the Turkish President had left and cleared the area.
But what happened behind the scenes was significant enough. For instance, the fact that the delegation’s nameplates read “Southern Cyprus.” Thanks to the intervention of the European Union’s ambassador to Turkey, the slip-up was averted.
The summit was the focus of the Turkish Cypriot press, with newspapers reporting on a frosty atmosphere and Christodoulides’ isolation from Erdoğan. There were also reports of the President of the Republic greeting the Turkish Cypriot leader in the corridors of the summit.
According to the pseudo-state’s press release, the Turkish Cypriot leader had brief side conversations with António Guterres, the Turkish Foreign Minister, and the country’s Vice President, focusing on the Cyprus issue.
See Evangelos Agapios’s report:
READ ALSO: Separate meetings between the President and Mitsotakis and Macron against the backdrop of the GSI | AlphaNews
