Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides has invited Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to attend European Union meetings on the island during Cyprus’s upcoming EU presidency, sending a direct message to Ankara ahead of the six-month term beginning in January.
Christodoulides extended the invitations during a joint session between Cyprus’s cabinet and European Parliament political group leaders on Sunday evening, one month before Cyprus assumes the rotating EU Council presidency for the second time.
“We are ready to invite the Turkish President to attend the informal European Council that will take place in Cyprus on 23-24 April. We are ready to invite the Turkish Foreign Minister to participate in the informal meeting of foreign ministers that will take place during the Cypriot Presidency,” Christodoulides said.
He added that it was up to Turkey whether it wished to participate in these summits, emphasising that Cyprus would approach Turkey’s candidacy file as it would any EU candidate country.
Metsola says Cyprus EU presidency could accelerate settlement talks
European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, who attended the joint session in Nicosia, said Cyprus’s EU presidency could serve as a catalyst for renewed efforts to resolve the decades-old division of the island.
“I also hope that the Cypriot Presidency can act and serve as an accelerator in this,” Metsola said, referring to efforts towards a Cyprus settlement.
She reaffirmed the European Parliament’s support for “a united, sovereign European state, a bicommunal, bizonal federation, in accordance with UN resolutions and based on our common values and EU law”.
Metsola stressed that Cyprus could rely on Europe and that the Cyprus issue remained “a common European matter”.
Cyprus sets strategic autonomy and regional ties as presidency goals
Christodoulides outlined two primary objectives for Cyprus’s EU presidency term, which runs from January to June 2026.
The first concerns strengthening the EU’s strategic autonomy across multiple policy areas inherited from Denmark’s presidency, including competitiveness, defence and security, migration, the multiannual financial framework, and housing.
The second objective focuses on bringing the EU closer to Cyprus’s geopolitically significant region through tangible results and substantial progress in relations with the southern neighbourhood and key regional actors such as the Gulf Cooperation Council.
“An autonomous Europe also means a Europe that builds bridges, that approaches its strategic partners through partnerships and cooperation, an outward-looking Europe that confidently plays an important role in international developments as a global actor,” Christodoulides said.
He emphasised the importance of the EU deepening relations with its southern neighbourhood and pursuing free trade agreements with India, the United States, and Gulf countries.
EU Parliament chief praises Cyprus humanitarian role in Middle East
Metsola praised Cyprus’s leadership role in providing humanitarian assistance to the Middle East, describing it as “a model that we should commend, examine and emulate”.
“With your leadership at the helm, we will be able to see what we have seen in recent years, as Cyprus has really shown how it could help so many people in the Middle East in terms of humanitarian aid,” Metsola said.
She noted that Cyprus was assuming the presidency at a time of rapid change and rising expectations from citizens, adding that the next six months would represent a renewed commitment to finding common ground.
The European Parliament president described Christodoulides’s contribution to both European and regional issues with particular warmth, highlighting Cyprus’s significant role in the region.
“Certainly we will be the ally and partner of Cyprus, as we always are, in the Council, in order to take steps forward. And this is true, of course, especially when it comes to any steps towards a united Cyprus, under the auspices of the UN,” Metsola said.
The European Parliament president highlighted the significant role Cyprus plays in the region during her remarks following the joint session with cabinet members and European Parliament political group leaders.
