The Antalya Diplomacy Forum 2026 concluded with renewed focus on regional stability, connectivity and diplomacy amid deepening global uncertainty.
The fifth Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF 2026), held from 17–19 April under the patronage of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and hosted by Türkiye’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, once again positioned Antalya as a key venue for global diplomacy. Convened under the theme “Mapping Tomorrow, Managing Uncertainties,” the forum addressed rising geopolitical tensions and the weakening of traditional international frameworks.
Speaking at the closing press conference, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the three-day event brought together 23 heads of state and government, 13 deputy leaders and 50 ministers, as well as representatives from 150 countries and 66 international organisations. More than 6,400 participants attended 52 sessions covering crises from the Middle East and Europe to Africa, Central Asia and Latin America.
Fidan underscored Türkiye’s growing role as a diplomatic and mediation hub. President Erdoğan and senior officials held numerous bilateral meetings, while several key diplomatic gatherings took place on the forum’s margins. According to Fidan, the forum demonstrated Türkiye’s commitment to dialogue at a time when global polarisation is increasingly displacing diplomacy.
A key focus was the South Caucasus. Fidan stated that Armenia and Azerbaijan have made significant progress towards a peace agreement, describing both sides as sincere. He stressed that a final deal would stabilise the region, advance Türkiye–Armenia normalisation and strengthen strategic connectivity.
Emphasising the importance of the Middle Corridor and the Zangezur Corridor linking Azerbaijan to Nakhchivan, Fidan said peace would unlock major gains in trade, energy security and regional development. He added that stability in the South Caucasus is essential for the security of these routes and noted ongoing cooperation with the European Union.
ADF 2026 featured broad international participation, including Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and North Macedonian President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova. Leaders and representatives from the Arab world, the Gulf, the Islamic world and the European Union also contributed to discussions on regional politics and security.
On the sidelines, a trilateral meeting between Ilham Aliyev, President Erdoğan and Prime Minister Sharif addressed regional stability and economic cooperation. Additionally, Türkiye hosted a quadrilateral meeting with Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Egypt focused on regional stability, maritime security and cooperation. Fidan rejected claims of military alignment, stressing the group’s emphasis on development and conflict resolution.
President Aliyev’s participation reinforced Azerbaijan’s commitment to dialogue-oriented, multi-vector diplomacy. Analysts noted that the forum provided important opportunities to present Azerbaijan’s positions on the post-conflict agenda in the South Caucasus, regional normalisation and economic cooperation.
Fidan said forums and six-country meetings addressed the Gaza peace plan, warning that Israel’s actions pose not only a regional but a global security threat. He reaffirmed Türkiye’s readiness to host further Russia–Ukraine peace talks, cautioning against global attention drifting away from Ukraine and Gaza.
He also highlighted Türkiye’s diplomacy in Africa, energy security projects and coordination among middle powers, concluding that the Antalya Diplomacy Forum has become a rare platform for dialogue, solutions and trust-building in an increasingly uncertain world.
U.S. President Donald Trump said that Iran had agreed to nuclear inspections into "infinity, despite Tehran's denials, and that unfrozen Iranian asset...
Apple is facing a £3 billion lawsuit in the United Kingdom after a competition tribunal approved a major collective action over its iCloud storage se...
Iran has strengthened ties with regional partners and agreed a roadmap for technical talks with the U.S. aimed at securing a final peace agreement wit...
Belgium has issued 24-hour visas to a Taliban delegation attending European Union migration talks in Brussels, as EU member states explore ways to ret...
The Democratic Republic of Congo has recorded more than 1,000 confirmed Ebola cases for the first time in the current outbreak, with infections rising...
The Antalya Diplomacy Forum could evolve into a UN-style regional platform, bringing together diverse international actors, a political analyst has said.
Nine suspects were arrested on Saturday (11 April) in connection with a terror attack targeting a police post in Istanbul’s Beşiktaş district.
A gunfight with police outside the Israeli consulate in Istanbul’s Beşiktaş district left at least one attacker dead and two others injured, according to Turkish authorities, prompting a major police response on Tuesday (7 April).
Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz has hailed the growing importance of the Organisation of Turkic States (OTS) amid rapidly shifting regional and global dynamics.
At least thirteen people have died and sixty-six have been injured following an explosion at Qatar's main liquefied natural gas (LNG) processing hub at Ras Laffan, authorities said on Sunday.
Cape Verde’s remarkable FIFA World Cup debut continued on Sunday (21 June) as the tournament newcomers held Uruguay to a 2-2 draw. Goalkeeper Vozinha was once again at the centre of the story, this time with his mother watching from the stands.
Tehran has agreed to let the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recommence inspections of its nuclear programme, U.S. Vice President JD Vance has said. The U.S. and Iran have settled on a 60-day roadmap aimed at reaching a final deal, according to mediators Qatar and Pakistan.
Armenia and Azerbaijan have agreed on a landmark internet deal that will allow traffic to pass through Azerbaijani networks.It's the latest deal to highlight the ongoing peace process between the two countries.
A Ukrainian strike has damaged a school building in a Russian-controlled area of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region, according to local authorities cited by the TASS news agency. No injuries were reported in the incident.
Apple is facing a £3 billion lawsuit in the United Kingdom after a competition tribunal approved a major collective action over its iCloud storage service.
Amnesty International has accused the European Union of being complicit in human rights abuses after authorities in eastern and western Libya intensified a crackdown on migrants and refugees through mass arrests, detentions and expulsions.
Belgium has issued 24-hour visas to a Taliban delegation attending European Union migration talks in Brussels, as EU member states explore ways to return some Afghans convicted of serious crimes or considered security threats.
Peter Murrell, the former chief executive of Scotland's governing Scottish National Party (SNP), has been jailed for five years and three months after admitting to embezzling more than £400,000 from the party over a 13-year period
Germany is preparing for one of the most significant reforms of its pension system in decades, as Chancellor Friedrich Merz backs proposals aimed at safeguarding retirement incomes in the face of rapid demographic change.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment