Antalya, Türkiye’s top Mediterranean destination for tourists from around the world, will host a three-day event for diplomats from around the world.
The Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF) will see representatives from 147 countries discussing current issues from Friday to Sunday. According to diplomatic sources, the third edition of the forum will be attended by nearly 4,500 participants, including 19 heads of state, 73 ministers and 57 international representatives.
The “Elevating Diplomacy, Amidst Crises” forum will cover topics such as global issues, climate change, migration, Islamophobia, trade wars and artificial intelligence. The 2021 forum had about 2,000 attendees, but this year, nearly 4,500 are expected. In 2022, 30 panels were organized, while this year, on March 1-3, 52 panels will be held. The forum will include a wide range of participants, from diplomats and politicians to students, academics, civil society organizations and the business community.
Multiple exhibitions will also be featured. The “Century of Türkiye” exhibition, which showcases Türkiye’s vision in the fields of art, energy, defense and industry, will be opened at the forum. The forum will also include the “Bulletproof Dreams: Gaza Children Painters Exhibition,” organized by Türkiye’s Directorate of Communications, to highlight the humanitarian crisis in Gaza through the perspective of children. French, Spanish, Arabic and Russian translations will be available during the opening session.
Following the opening, a leaders’ panel titled “Elevating Diplomacy amid Crises,” which shares the name of this year’s theme, will be held. The panel, featuring the presidents of Bulgaria, Kosovo, Somalia and Djibouti, will discuss advancing and highlighting diplomacy. The second panel will discuss promoting multilateralism during crises, featuring the presidents of Madagascar, Guinea-Bissau and Congo. The forum will include regional sessions on Africa, Latin America and the Asia-Pacific, as well as areas of geographical and recent foreign policy significance for Türkiye. The panel on Balkan issues will include the foreign ministers of Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina and North Macedonia, along with the U.K.’s Special representative for the Balkans. They will discuss the challenges and opportunities in the region. The forum will also discuss the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization and security issues, with two panels on Eurasia and the Turkic world. The institutionalization and advancement of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), previously known as the Turkic Council, in the 21st century and enhancing cooperation within the council will be discussed at the ministerial level. Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, former foreign minister and current chairperson of the Turkish delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, will also participate. The Eurasia panel will discuss regional issues as well as economic cooperation opportunities. It will include the presidents of regional organizations and some country representatives discussing the topic of “connectivity.”
Africa
Another regional session will focus on Africa, emphasizing cooperation while safeguarding countries’ rights. Two panels on Africa will be held. The first panel includes a focus on the Sahel region, which has recently been in the spotlight due to security and terrorism issues, and the second one will discuss the opportunities Africa offers and the continent’s importance for the future. The forum will also include regional sessions on the transformation in Latin America and developments in the Asia-Pacific region. A session on the Middle East will be held with four panels addressing various issues in the region.
Gaza panel
The Gaza Contact Group panel, hosted by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, will discuss efforts to stop the Palestinian issue and the ongoing massacre in Gaza and exchange views. The panel, to be held among the members of the contact group, is planned to include the deputy prime minister and foreign minister of Jordan, along with the foreign ministers of Palestine, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. The panel titled “Building Blocks for Lasting Peace” in the Middle East will also address recent events in Gaza. It will include the foreign ministers of Lebanon and Palestine, the deputy foreign minister of Bahrain and the deputy secretary-general of the Arab League. The guarantorship model of Türkiye in achieving a permanent solution to the Palestinian issue will also be discussed by academics at the roundtable. The fourth panel, focusing on the Middle East, will be held at the expert level, bringing together journalists and thinkers from the region to discuss “how a new ground can be created in the Middle East.”
The “International Politics and Security” category will feature panels discussing various topics, including the role of women in security and diplomacy. The “Women, Peace and Security” session led by first lady Emine Erdogan will have special and high-level participation. Racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia and mediation will also be discussed at the forum.
A session will support less developed countries, with the participation of representatives from the U.N. Technology Bank and the UNDP Private Sector Development Center. Another panel will focus on the contribution of local governments to global issues and how this contribution can be enhanced. A panel on climate change, which will also address energy and food security, will include participation from Africa and the Middle East. A roundtable meeting titled “International Trade, Connectivity and Interdependence,” which will be attended by Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz, will also be held.
Youth, technology and science will also be discussed on the second day of the event, as well as the latest developments in space in all dimensions. On the third day, a panel titled “Artificial Intelligence and Diplomacy” will be held, where experts will exchange views on the opportunities and risks created by artificial intelligence.
The second edition of the forum, held from March 11-13, 2022, under the theme “Redefining Diplomacy,” was attended by more than 3,000 people. A total of 75 countries were represented at the forum, with the participation of 17 heads of state and government, 80 ministers and 39 representatives from international organizations. During the event, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held 11 bilateral meetings, while Çavuşoğlu held 67. Erdoğan also met with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg during the forum. At the meeting, attended by around 400 local and foreign journalists, Türkiye emphasized the importance of keeping humanitarian corridors open. Türkiye, which has been working for the cessation of the war between Russia and Ukraine and a lasting peace, brought together Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba for the first time on March 10, 2022, on the margins of the ADF. The meeting between Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and then Foreign Minister Çavuşoğlu during the 2022 forum attracted the attention of the media.
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