Antalya Correspondent: Filip Polo
President Nikos Christodoulides' presence at the COP31 Leaders' Summit in Antalya was accompanied by a series of diplomatic and protocol-related developments alongside the conference's climate agenda.
Attention focused on the handling of the Cypriot president's participation, the use of the term "Southern Cyprus" in summit-related references and a brief encounter with Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman.
Arrival protocol at the summit
The most notable incident occurred during Christodoulides' arrival at the summit venue.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who had been greeting heads of state and government alongside UN Secretary-General António Guterres, left the reception area shortly before the arrival of the Cypriot president.
As a result, Christodoulides was welcomed solely by Guterres, with the two exchanging a handshake, posing for photographs and holding a brief conversation.
Erdogan later returned to continue receiving other leaders. Earlier, he had separately welcomed Erhurman without the presence of the UN secretary-general.
Brief contact with Erhurman
Different protocol arrangements had also been evident upon the arrival of the two leaders in Antalya on Tuesday.
Christodoulides, who travelled via Rhodes, was received at the airport by a protocol official from the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Erhurman, by contrast, was welcomed by senior Turkish officials.
Although both men were in Antalya at the same time, no meeting took place between them. Their contact was limited to a brief handshake.
EU intervention over terminology
A separate issue arose regarding how the Republic of Cyprus was identified during the summit.
According to the report, Turkish organisers initially used the term "Southern Cyprus" in references to the Cypriot delegation, including signage connected with the presidential motorcade.
Sources said the terminology was changed following intervention by the European Union Delegation to Turkey, after which references used the term "Cyprus" instead.
Climate policy priorities
During his address to the COP31 plenary, Christodoulides focused on climate action and implementation of international commitments.
He said current efforts remain insufficient to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement and called for:
- Faster reductions in emissions
- Transition away from fossil fuels
- A tripling of renewable energy capacity
- A doubling of improvements in energy efficiency by 2030
- Increased investment and climate financing
Regional cooperation initiatives
The president also referred to the effects of climate change on Cyprus, including water scarcity, extreme temperatures, desertification and wildfires.
He highlighted the Republic of Cyprus' climate initiative for the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East, which involves ten countries and more than 200 scientific experts.
As an example of regional cooperation, he cited the Regional Wildfire Response Hub established in Cyprus earlier this year through a joint initiative with Jordan and with the support of the European Commission.
