Cyprus announced on Monday that it will invite Turkey’s President Erdogan to a regional summit planned during its European Union presidency next year, despite a longstanding conflict stemming from Turkey’s 1974 invasion and its support for a breakaway territory on the divided island.

Nicosia is set to hold the rotating EU presidency in the first half of 2026 and intends to organize a meeting of regional leaders to address issues related to the Middle East. Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides confirmed that Erdogan would be included among the invitees.

“Geography can’t be changed — Turkey will always be a neighboring country to the Republic of Cyprus. President Erdogan will certainly be welcome to participate in the summit to discuss developments in the region,” Christodoulides said during a press briefing in Nicosia.

He also made similar remarks in a British podcast aired on Monday, mentioning that the summit is expected to take place in April 2026.

Turkey has yet to comment publicly on the invitation. Cyprus and Turkey currently do not maintain diplomatic relations, and hosting the Turkish president could pose significant diplomatic and logistical challenges given the history of conflict.

The island of Cyprus has been divided since the Turkish military intervention in 1974, which followed a brief coup supported by Greece. Turkey backs an unrecognized administration in northern Cyprus and maintains a military presence there.

Christodoulides leads the Greek Cypriot government, which represents the entire island within the EU framework, but its authority ends at the ceasefire line separating the northern and southern parts. President Erdogan has never visited the southern part of the island.