Cyprus Forum Executive President Nicolas Kyriakides answered questions from Tevfik Aytekin of Özgür Gazete on the events surrounding the withdrawal of Nicosia Turkish Municipality Mayor Mehmet Harmancı from Cyprus Forum 2026. The interview was published in Turkish on 28 September 2026 . The questions and answers are reproduced below in English as submitted. The paper also reported that Nicosia Turkish Municipality officials said they learned of the title change from the Forum’s statement and had not been consulted beforehand.

Cyprus Forum 2026 opens on 28 September. Before we go into the details, could you describe in your own words, and in chronological order, what happened between ELAM’s public statement on Wednesday and Mr Mehmet Harmancı’s withdrawal from the Forum?

After ELAM’s statement on Wednesday, which called for the withdrawal of Mr Harmancı’s invitation, we rejected that demand outright. On the same day we received many calls, emails and messages, including from government officials, pointing out that the title in the draft agenda is not accepted by the Greek Cypriot side. We replaced it with the title the two mayors had used at their recent joint meetings, and we then wrote to Mr Harmancı proposing that both mayors agree on titles acceptable to them both. Mr Harmancı then informed us of his withdrawal, and Mr Prountzos followed in solidarity.

Reports in the Turkish Cypriot press state that, following ELAM’s demand, Cyprus Forum informed Mr Harmancı that he could not take part under the title “Mayor of Nicosia Turkish Municipality” and changed his title in the programme to “leader of the Turkish Cypriot community of Nicosia”. Is this account accurate?

Not entirely. We never told Mr Harmancı that he could not take part, and his participation was never in question. It is true that the title was changed to “Leader of the Turkish Cypriot community of Nicosia”. It is also true, and we regret it, that this happened before we had spoken to him.

Was Cyprus Forum contacted directly, formally or informally, by ELAM, by the Government of the Republic of Cyprus, or by any other party, with a request to change Mr Harmancı’s title or to withdraw his invitation? If so, who made these requests, and in what form?

ELAM made its demand publicly, and it concerned the withdrawal of the invitation, which we refused. Separately, we received many calls, emails and messages from different people, including government officials, saying the title is not accepted by the Greek Cypriot side. Those who contacted us raised a concern, and the decision was ours alone.

Mr Harmancı says he was told that the title was changed following consultation with officials of the Republic of Cyprus. Which officials or institutions were consulted, and what was their position?

It would not be fair to name individual officials, since the responsibility for the decision lies with us, not with them. The position conveyed to us was consistent: the title used in the draft agenda is not accepted by the Greek Cypriot side. For that reason we chose the title the two mayors had themselves used at their joint meetings, rather than one of our own making.

Mr Harmancı has appeared in previous Cyprus Forum programmes under the title “Mayor of Nicosia Turkish Municipality”. What changed this year? Who took the decision to change the title? Was it a formal decision of the Board of Directors or the Executive Committee, or was it taken at another level?

In previous years, the titles of both mayors were agreed with them in advance, before the programme was published. This year, the draft agenda went online without that step, and that was our mistake. All decisions were taken by me, as Executive President, after consulting my team. The responsibility is mine, and in hindsight the decision should have come only after speaking to both mayors.

Was the decision taken unanimously or by majority?

There was no vote. I took the decision as Executive President after consulting my team. I take full responsibility for it.

Has Cyprus Forum faced similar pressure in previous years regarding Turkish Cypriot participants, their titles, or the way they are presented in the programme?

Yes. Every year we come under attack from nationalist voices for including Turkish Cypriots and for putting difficult bicommunal issues on the agenda. We have never withdrawn an invitation, and we have not done so this year.

Beyond ELAM’s public statement, did the Forum face other forms of pressure this year, whether from other political parties, from government circles, from sponsors, or from public opinion?

As a rule, we are not influenced by anyone, and that is why we are independent. Yes, we saw the reaction: calls, emails and messages from government officials, messages from sponsors, and considerable reaction from the public. We understand why the issue of titles is so sensitive on both sides.

Have you or your colleagues received any threats, public or private, in connection with this matter?

We have received harsh messages and attacks on social media, but no threats that required action.

While the Forum was under this pressure, who stood by you? Did any political parties, institutions or public figures offer support?

Many people who know our work over the past 15 years stood by us, from both communities, including some who disagree with how we handled this. That tells us people care about this space existing.

Mr Harmancı states that he was invited as Mayor, that he learned of the change from the press without any prior consultation, and that he received an email afterwards explaining the change was made “to prevent the crisis from escalating”. Is this sequence correct? Why was he not consulted before the announcement?

Yes, in essence the sequence is correct. He should have been informed before any change, not after, and we have apologised to him for that. The only thing that disappoints us is his suggestion that we were influenced by ELAM, which is not the case. Our work in the past, and our work in the future, shows how independent we are: we are not affiliated with any political party or with any other actor who could influence our decisions.

Critics, including Mr Harmancı, argue that the Forum effectively yielded to ELAM’s demands and allowed the Turkish Cypriot community to be publicly humiliated. How do you respond?

We understand why it looks that way, and we have heard the hurt it caused. But ELAM asked us to cancel Mr Harmancı’s invitation, and we refused. We never intended to diminish him or his community. The mistake was in the process: we did not consult both mayors first.

Did the Forum anticipate that changing the title would trigger withdrawals and damage its credibility as a platform for dialogue? In hindsight, would you take the same decision again?

No, we did not anticipate the scale of the reaction, and in hindsight I would not handle it the same way. I would speak to both mayors first, and if there was no time, I would temporarily remove both titles and show names only until they agreed. That would have been neutral and fair to both sides.

Cyprus Forum presents itself as a transparent organisation that publishes its financial accounts and is open to EU-related scrutiny. Given the EU’s commitments to democratic values and to Turkish Cypriots as EU citizens, do you expect this decision to draw scrutiny from EU institutions or European partners?

We welcome scrutiny. Transparency has always been part of how we work, and we will answer any questions openly. Turkish Cypriots are EU citizens, and their participation has been at the heart of our work since 2020. That commitment has not changed.

The Mayor of Nicosia, Charalambos Prountzos, and the Association for Historical Dialogue and Research have announced their withdrawal, and others have followed. What is your response, and how many participants have withdrawn so far?

We respect every decision, and each one hurts because these are people and organisations who share our goals. Around 20 participants have withdrawn so far, out of more than 200 speakers. We hope to meet with them after the Forum to discuss what we must do differently.

Mr Harmancı and Mr Prountzos were due to present the Peace and Democracy Awards together. What will happen to that session now?

The awards will go ahead, for the third consecutive year, to one Greek Cypriot and one Turkish Cypriot, posthumously, for their contribution to peace and democracy. The organisers will present them to representatives of the awardees. The honourees deserve that their recognition is not lost because of our mistake.

Cyprus Forum’s stated mission is dialogue. What would you like to say to Turkish Cypriots who feel that the Forum has let them down? Will Mr Harmancı be invited next year, and under which title?

To Turkish Cypriots who feel we let them down: we understand, we apologise, and we will work to earn back your trust through actions, not words. Yes, Mr Harmancı will be invited next year. The titles of both mayors will be agreed with them before anything is published, as they should have been this year.

Interview by Tevfik Aytekin, Özgür Gazete. Published in Turkish on 28 September 2026.