Antalya Diplomacy Forum to host representatives from 147 countries

By Sumeyye Dilara Dincer

The Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF) will host representatives from 147 countries around the world.

According to diplomatic sources, the third edition of the forum, starting Thursday, will be attended by nearly 4,500 participants, including 19 heads of state, 73 ministers, and 57 international representatives.

The forum, themed Elevating Diplomacy Amidst Crises, will cover various 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, from 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 Bulletproof Dreams: Gaza Children Painters Exhibition, organized by Türkiye's Presidency of Communications to highlight the humanitarian crisis in Gaza through the perspective of children.

Translation in French, Spanish, Arabic, and Russian will be available during the opening session.

- Panels

Following the opening, a leaders' panel titled Elevating Diplomacy Amidst 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, areas of geographical and recent foreign policy significance for Türkiye.

The panel on Balkan issues will include the foreign ministers of Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and North Macedonia, along with the UK'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 Turkic Council's institutionalization and advancement in the 21st century, as well as enhancing cooperation within the Council, will be discussed at the ministerial level.

Mevlut Cavusoglu, the chairman 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 presidents of regional organizations and some country representatives discussing the topic of "connectivity."

- Africa

Another regional session will a focus on Africa, emphasizing cooperation while safeguarding countries' rights.

Two panels on Africa will be held.

The first panel includes 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 Contact Group Panel

The Gaza Contact Group panel, hosted by Turkish 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."

- International Politics and Security

The "International Politics and Security" category will feature panels discussing various topics, including the role of "women" in security and diplomacy.

The session titled "Women, Peace, and Security," 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.

- Less developed countries

A session will support less developed countries, with the participation of representatives from the UN 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 Yilmaz, will also be held.

- Panels to be addressed at expert level

At the ADF, youth, technology, and science will be discussed, and the latest developments in space will be discussed in all dimensions on the second day of the forum.

On the third day, the panel titled "Artificial Intelligence and Diplomacy" will be held, where experts will exchange views on the opportunities and risks created by artificial intelligence.

- In 2022, necessity of keeping humanitarian corridors open emphasized

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 forum, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held 11 bilateral meetings, while former foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu held 67.

Erdogan 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 for a lasting peace, brought together Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitro 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-Turkish Foreign Minister Cavusoglu during the 2022 forum attracted the attention of the media.