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An incident taking place during the welcome ceremony for leaders attending the UN Climate Change Conference (COP31), in Antalya, has stirred discussion within the Cypriot government, as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan left the reception point shortly before Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides arrived, leaving UN Secretary-General António Guterres to greet him alone.

The moment was captured on television footage, and Ankara has so far offered no explanation. The camera was not on the welcome area when Christodoulides first arrived. When it turned back to the spot, only Guterres was in the frame, waiting for the Cypriot president. In the footage that followed, Christodoulides appears to pause briefly before entering the hall, reportedly because organizers asked him to wait. Moments later, a large Turkish flag filled the screens, and by then Erdogan had already left.

The Cypriot president and the UN secretary-general spoke for a few seconds and posed for the official photographs before Christodoulides went inside. When the next leader arrived, the Turkish president was back in his usual place beside Guterres.

Cypriot government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis called Erdogan’s departure “a display of contempt toward the UN.”

The incident is all the more striking because Erdogan had earlier personally welcomed Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman, who is also attending the summit, however, Guterres was not at Erdogan’s side for that welcome. Ankara does not recognize the Republic of Cyprus, so the different handling of the two leaders carries clear political weight.

The incident did not stop Christodoulides from taking part in the summit. He represented the Republic of Cyprus as a recognized member state of both the United Nations and the European Union. His presence in Antalya had already prompted diplomatic consultations. According to reports, Turkey had tried to keep him out of the Leaders’ Summit.

Nicosia responded by working with European institutions and EU member-state governments. Its argument was that an EU member state’s equal participation in an international conference cannot be called into question. In the end, Christodoulides’ participation was secured, and he arrived in Antalya the night before. On arrival, he was received by a representative of the Turkish Foreign Ministry and by the EU ambassador to Ankara.

The two leaders are attending the same conference just as the UN pushes to restart negotiations on the Cyprus problem. The day before, Christodoulides spoke by phone with Guterres. Their call focused on Monday’s meeting with Erhürman and María Ángela Holguín, the UN secretary-general’s personal envoy. Guterres had also met with Erdogan in Antalya, and the Cyprus issue was on their agenda as well.

The Cyprus News Agency reported that next steps are being considered toward a new trilateral meeting under the UN secretary-general. The Cypriot government had made clear, however, that no meeting was scheduled between Christodoulides and either Erdogan or Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.