Cyprus will soon lead the European Union. President Nikos Christodoulides invited Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. This is a big step to separate Cyprus's EU role from its problems with Turkey. The invitation wants to create a better feeling during Cyprus's six months leading EU foreign policy. Turkey has answered carefully, keeping its old position.
Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos sent the invitation. It asks President Erdogan to come to a meeting in April. Many people think this is a smart plan from Cyprus. It shows they will not use their EU leadership for their own problems with Turkey. Instead, Cyprus wants to focus on other things. They want to help the EU work more with other countries. This includes the Middle East and India. They want to find ways to work together, not just talk about problems.
However, Turkey has a very strong and old position. Ankara does not accept the Republic of Cyprus as a real government. This makes the invitation difficult. A Turkish official, who did not give their name, said this again. They said the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is the only place to talk to. This shows the big problem between the two sides of the island. It also affects wider talks in the region.
Cyprus tried to be friendly. But most people think President Erdogan will not come. This is because Turkey does not accept the Republic of Cyprus. If they did, it would be easier for Erdogan to attend. Still, sending the invitation is important. It shows Cyprus wants to be practical and look to the future. This is for EU-Turkey relations during their EU leadership time.
Cyprus decided to focus on working with other regions during its EU presidency. This is a smart choice to change what people talk about. By inviting other countries to the April meeting, Cyprus wants to show chances for working together. This could help solve difficult problems in the world. This plan knows there are still problems with Cyprus. But it wants to show Cyprus can help the EU with foreign policy. It can do this even with its own land issues. The success of this plan will depend on everyone working together. This is hard because of old political issues.