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.
Hundreds of thousands of deep-diving turtles, known as olive ridley sea turtles, have arrived on Mexico’s southern coast for one of nature&rs...
A drone hit a petrol station in Ukraine's capital of Kyiv early on Tuesday, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on the...
U.S. President Donald Trump has again said Iran is keen to reach a deal quickly, but a senior Iranian security official rejected the claim, saying ...
Maritime trackers received new reports of an attack on a ship in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), adding to concerns about energy supplies after Saudi Arabia shut down a vital oil pipeline on Saturday.
A Kyiv-Warsaw train was struck near the Polish border, Ukraine's state railway firm said on Sunday. No passengers were injured. Ukrainian Railways said that the country's railways were facing systematic attacks for a second day and warned of widespread delays.
U.S. Central Command said 101 commercial vessels have been redirected in the Strait of Hormuz, while oil prices rose more than three per cent amid fresh regional attacks and supply concerns.
A Russian strike on a farm warehouse in Pryluky, north-central Ukraine, has killed at least three people, local police said. Meanwhile, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said an attack on a train near the Polish border was an attempt to intimidate Ukraine's allies.
China will lead the creation of an open source platform among BRICS members to promote cooperation on large language models, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Sunday.
A drone hit a petrol station in Ukraine's capital of Kyiv early on Tuesday, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on the Telegram messaging app, adding that there was also a strike on warehouse facilities in another part of the city.
Every day since a torrent of mud and rocks destroyed a Nepal-China border crossing high up in the Himalayas last month, Arushi Gupta's parents have called and messaged their missing daughter hoping she somehow survived.
Foreign ministers of Cambodia and Thailand delivered opening statements on Tuesday at the first meeting of a UN arbitration process to resolve a long-running maritime dispute between the two Southeast Asian neighbours.
A federal judge has halted a Trump administration immigration policy that would have significantly changed how long foreign students, exchange visitors and international journalists can remain in the United States.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has expressed cautious optimism about ongoing discussions with the United States regarding Greenland, signalling that Copenhagen believes a cooperative solution can be reached despite years of political tensions surrounding the strategic Arctic territory.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment