Antalya Diplomacy Forum: A great Success for Turkiye I
Dr. Syed Mehboob
Economic and Political Analyst
http//: www.thenewslark.com
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Mian Shehbaz Sharif met with the president of the brother country, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and appreciated his “Exceptionally Warm” welcome during his very fruitful and important visit to Turkiye. He said that he was leaving Turkiye with renewed commitment to deepen ties between the two countries. His deep attachment to Turkiye and its leadership reflects to his comments:
“As I depart the beautiful city of Antalya, I wish to express my deepest gratitude to my dear brother Recep Tayyip Erdogan for the exceptionally warm welcome and gracious hospitality extended to me and my delegation. He also said that the visit left him with “fond memories” and strengthened Pakistan’s resolve to further expand the “ enduring fraternal bonds between Pakistan and Turkiye. He further said that both countries would continue working to advance dialogue and diplomacy for lasting peace and stability in the region.
This year’s forum, held under the auspices of Erdogan and hosted by Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry, carries the theme “Mapping Tomorrow, Managing Uncertainties.” The gathering has brought together world leaders and senior officials to discuss major geopolitical challenges and diplomatic solutions amid rising regional and global tensions.
Prime Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif’s participation highlighted the close coordination between Turkiye and Pakistan as both countries seek stronger regional partnerships and a larger diplomatic role.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned that the world is facing a deep crisis of power and direction, urging renewed commitment to diplomacy, dialogue, and rules-based cooperation as global tensions rise. Speaking at the opening of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum on 17th April 2026, Erdogan stressed that conflicts across regions, from Gaza to Ukraine, highlight the failure of existing global mechanisms and the urgent need for reform and collective action.
The three-day forum, held under the theme “Mapping Tomorrow, Managing Uncertainties”, has brought together world leaders and senior officials in southern Türkiye to address growing geopolitical instability and shifting global dynamics.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the international system is not only undergoing a shift in power but also facing a deeper “crisis of direction”, warning that the world has reached a “serious and dangerous threshold”. He criticized global institutions for failing to uphold justice and protect civilians, saying mechanisms tasked with safeguarding human rights remain ineffective and often indifferent in the face of major violations.
He described the current crisis as “moral and existential”, pointing to conflicts in Syria, Gaza, the occupied West Bank, and Lebanon as evidence of systemic failure.
The Turkish president categorically said the situation in Gaza represents more than a humanitarian tragedy, describing it as a genocide that exposes the limits and biases of the current global order. He questioned how trust could be maintained in a system that fails to prevent civilian suffering and mass violence, urging the international community to confront what he called a collapse in moral responsibility.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan added that global governance structures must be reformed to ensure accountability and fairness. He said, “No matter how deep disputes may be, we must not allow weapons to replace dialogue,” Erdogan said, underscoring Türkiye’s commitment to peaceful foreign policy. He reiterated Turiye’s readiness to facilitate negotiations in ongoing conflicts, including potential direct talks between Russia and Ukraine, and even a leaders’ summit if conditions allow.
Türkiye, he said, continues to position itself as a mediator capable of bridging divides and advancing diplomatic solutions. Recep Tayyip Erdogan stressed that stability in neighbouring Syria remains vital for the region’s future, calling for continued efforts towards peace, normalization and reconstruction. He also highlighted Türkiye’s aim to turn the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean into zones of stability, rejecting unilateral actions that exclude Türkiye or Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. He added that Ankara is open to cooperation with neighbouring countries on energy and connectivity projects.
Addressing rising tensions linked to Iran, Erdogan emphasized that freedom of navigation must be preserved, calling for the Strait of Hormuz to remain open to commercial shipping.
He stressed that Gulf countries must retain unrestricted access to open seas, warning that any disruption to maritime routes could have global economic consequences.
Erdogan reaffirmed Türkiye’s long-standing goal of European Union membership, expressing hope that the bloc will overcome what he described as a “direction crisis” and return to its founding principles. He also highlighted the importance of strengthening alliances while maintaining an independent and balanced foreign policy.
The Antalya Diplomacy Forum, now in its fifth edition, has evolved into a major platform for international dialogue, bringing together policymakers, diplomats and experts to address global challenges. Erdogan described the gathering as a space not only for resolving conflicts but also for shaping the principles that will define the future of international relations.
He expressed confidence that discussions at the forum would contribute to Türkiye’s broader mission of promoting peace, stability and cooperation worldwide.
The fifth edition of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum kicked off in Türkiye on 17th April 2026, bringing together world leaders and senior officials to address growing global uncertainty.
Held under the auspices of Türkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and hosted by the Turkish Foreign Ministry, the three-day forum has been taking place in the southern Mediterranean city of Antalya under the theme Mapping Tomorrow, Managing Uncertainties.
More than 150 countries are represented at the event, including over 20 heads of state and government and nearly 15 deputy leaders.
The forum also brings together more than 50 ministers – over 40 of them foreign ministers – as well as representatives from 75 international organisations.
In total, more than 460 high-level participants and nearly 5,000 attendees, including academics and students, participated.
Participants from Africa and Europe make up nearly half of the attending heads of state. At the same time, foreign ministers joined mainly from Africa, Europe and Asia.
The forum featured more than 40 panels and events, including leadership-level discussions addressing political, economic, environmental, and technological challenges, with a particular focus on the evolving global landscape. (Continued)
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