The third edition of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF) is underway, bringing together heads of states and governments, ministers, diplomats, business leaders, academics, policy makers, and journalists to discuss the key issues dominating the global agenda.
An estimated 4,500 delegates from 147 countries will take part in the three-day event, running from 1 to 3 March 2024 and produced under the auspices of the President of the Republic of Türkiye, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The primary theme at this year’s Forum is “Advancing Diplomacy in Times of Turmoil”, reflecting the turbulence in global affairs arising from some 30 conflicts, as well as terrorism, irregular migration, the rise of xenophobia and Islamophobia. The Forum will also consider the risks posed by AI, climate change, and natural disaster. Delegates will be asked to consider the impact these are having on the rules-based international order and to map a peaceful way forward
Among the 19 heads of state and 73 ministers attending the Forum is Ersin Tatar, President of the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus, TRNC Prime Minister Ünal Üstel, Viktor Orbán, the Prime Minister of Hungary, Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Bulgarian President Rumen Radev, and Nechirvan Idris Barzani, President of the Kurdish Regional Government in Iraq, and Borut Pahor, Former President, Republic of Slovenia.
There are also a host of Foreign Ministers and Deputy Foreign Ministers attending and speaking, including those from Russia, Egypt, Azerbaijan, Lebanon, Columbia, Panama, Guatemala, Sudan, and Palestine.
President Erdoğan and Hakan Fidan, the Turkish Foreign Minister, addressed delegates as part of the official opening of the Forum, which also provides an important opportunity to showcase the best of the Republic of Turkiye during its centenary year.
Panel discussions on the first day included ‘Exploring a Guarantorship Model for Peace and Security in the Middle East’, the ‘Road to Stability in Syria’, and ‘New Approaches to Empower the Least Developed Countries’.
Among the notable quotes from keynote speakers on the first day are:
Jeyhun Bayramov, Minister of Foreign Affairs Republic of Azerbaijan, who said: “Unfortunately, we see at the moment how great powers today have failed at being the stabilizing factor in the world. From this point of view, we believe that the importance of regional alliances and organizations will increase more and more. The Organization of Turkic States is included as, by its nature, it is unique with a solid foundation.”
Abdallah Bou Habib, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants of the Republic of Lebanon: “Lebanon wants peace, not a peace treaty. A complete peace that includes the Palestinians. A peace that could give them security and prosperity as well.”
Daniel Levy, President, US Middle East Project: “The emperor has no clothes. It is hardly breaking news to anyone that there is hypocrisy in the conduct of global affairs.”
Lise Grande, President, US Institute of Peace: “We have to address the relation between global stability and power, we should take responsibility to have a shared responsibility in a multi-polarized world.”
Ersin Tatar, TRNC President: “Turkish Cypriots deserve to have their own independence.”
Mónica Renata Bolaños Pérez, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Guatemala: “The government of Guatemala is emphatic in pointing out that there is no democracy without social justice, and social justice cannot prevail without justice. For our country, this is achieved from the perceptive of full respect of human rights.”
