Reuters
London, United Kingdom
7 November 2024

In a rare and unexpected encounter, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama engaged in a brief discussion on the sidelines of the European Political Community summit in Budapest on Thursday.

The informal meeting, which took place shortly before the summit’s official start, marked an unusual convergence of leaders from nations with historically strained relations. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan was also present during the initial exchange.

During the discussion, the leaders shared views on the U.S. presidential election and broader regional and international developments. Photos from the event showed the four leaders and other officials gathered around a small coffee table in a conference hall, signaling the informal nature of the interaction.

Encounters between Turkish and Cypriot leaders are exceedingly rare due to decades-long tensions stemming from Cyprus’s division into Greek and Turkish Cypriot territories in 1974. While the meeting was not planned, its occurrence alongside high-level European discussions reflects a symbolic moment of dialogue amidst a complex geopolitical backdrop.

Greek officials noted the significance of the leaders exchanging perspectives on key global issues, emphasizing the importance of regional cooperation even amid longstanding disputes.

Reuters
London, United Kingdom
7 November 2024

Erdoğan has coffee with Greek Cypriot leader in rare encounter

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides on Thursday had a rare and unusual encounter as they had coffee on the sidelines of an EU summit in Hungary, Greek Cypriot officials said.

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan was also present, while they were later joined by Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Edi Rama, the prime ministers of Greece and Albania, respectively, Greek Cypriot deputy government spokesperson Yiannis Antoniou said in a post on X.

The meeting was not planned. Encounters between the leaders of Türkiye and Greek Cyprus seldom occur and are almost always by chance. The two countries do not have diplomatic relations, as a result of a bitter conflict going back decades and the division of the island between Greek and Turkish Cypriots.

Photos released from the encounter showed Erdoğan and Christodoulides with other officials sitting around a low coffee table in a conference hall.

In Athens, officials said the discussion focused on the U.S. presidential election and international developments.