The Cyprus issue has returned to the European Union's focus after European leaders met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on the sidelines of the NATO Summit. European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, in a joint statement after dinner with Erdogan, stressed that the "renewed momentum" should be used to promote a solution to the Cyprus issue through a United Nations-led process.

The two European leaders thanked Erdogan for the reception in Ankara, underlining that the European Union and Turkey remain "strategic partners" and that strengthening relations between them is more important than ever in an increasingly complex international situation. According to Costa and von der Leyen, Turkey has played an important role in managing crises in the Middle East and in supporting efforts for a lasting peace in Ukraine.

“We must also use the renewed momentum to promote a settlement of the Cyprus issue through the UN-led process,” their statement said. The trilateral meeting was also attended by senior officials from both sides. From the European Union, Antonio Costa’s chief foreign policy advisor, Anna-Maria Bura, and Ursula von der Leyen’s chief of staff, Bjorn Seibert. From the Turkish side, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Trade Minister Omer Bolat participated.

Meanwhile, during the NATO Summit, European leaders also received symbolic gifts from Turkish President Erdogan, as is the tradition of these meetings. Among the gifts were reportedly personalized revolvers, accompanied by real bullets and the relevant export documentation, with the names of the recipients engraved on the weapons.