Türkiye will host the 5th Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF 2026) in the southern city of Antalya from April 17 to 19. The three-day event will be hosted by the Turkish Foreign Ministry.

The diplomacy seminar comes at a time the world is witnessing a surge in geopolitical tensions, as well as increased competition over security, trade, and energy.

This year's forum has been themed "Mapping Tomorrow, Managing Uncertainties", a reflection of the current global developments and a look into possible solutions to emerging challenges.

ADF 2026 is expected to bring together senior state officials, including African leaders, foreign ministers, deputy ministers, and other multilateral leaders.

Sudan, DRC leaders to attend forum

Sudan will be represented by the chairperson of the country's transitional council, Abdel Fattah Al Burhan, as well as Foreign Minister Mohieddin Salem Ahmed Ibrahim. Sudan's participation marks a crucial step towards finding peace in the war-hit nation.

Democratic Republic of Congo's President, Felix Tshisekedi, has also confirmed his attendance, as well as Comoros's President Azali Assoumani.

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud will lead Somalia's delegation to Antalya, which will also include Deputy Prime Minister Salah Ahmed Jama, Transport Minister Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur, and State Minister for Foreign Affairs Ali Mohamed Omar.

From Africa's north, the Libyan delegation will be led by Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, while Egypt has sent Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty. Algeria, on the other hand, will be represented by Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ahmed Attaf.

Other delegations from Africa

From the continent's west, Nigeria will be represented by Defence Minister, Retired General Christopher Musa, while Sierra Leone has sent its Deputy Foreign Minister, Francesc Paigie Alghali.

Ghana's delegation will be led by Deputy Foreign Minister, James Gyakye Quayson. Liberia's Assistant Legal Affairs Minister, Rosetta Nagbe Jackollie, will also be in attendance. The Gambia's Foreign Minister, Sering Modou Njie, and his Guinea-Bissau counterpart, Joao Bernardo Vieira, will also be among the guests at the Antalya forum.

The African Union chairperson Evariste Ndayishimiye, who is also the president of Burundi, will play a key role in representing all African leaders at the seminar.

Other nations that have sent senior state officials to the forum in Türkiye, including ministers and deputy ministers, are Botswana, South Africa, Zambia, Namibia, Uganda, Rwanda, and Sao Tome and Principe.

Türkiye-Africa partnership solidifies

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) have also sent top officials.

Türkiye's expanding engagement with Africa forms the strategic foundation of the upcoming forum.

Since declaring 2005 as the Year of Africa, Ankara has significantly expanded its diplomatic footprint on the continent. Currently, Türkiye has 44 embassies across Africa and there are plans to increase them to 50.

Conversely, 38 African countries maintain diplomatic missions in Ankara.

Wide-ranging cooperation

This reciprocal expansion reflects a deepening partnership spanning trade, security, education, humanitarian cooperation, and infrastructure development.

This trajectory has been reinforced through high-level platforms such as the 5th Türkiye–Africa Business and Economic Forum held in Istanbul in October 2025, and preparations for the 4th Türkiye–Africa Partnership Summit scheduled for later 2026.

Türkiye has grown its institutional presence across Africa through aid and development agencies such as TİKA, AFAD, the Turkish Red Crescent, and the Maarif Foundation, which contribute toward education and humanitarian development, among other crucial areas.

Türkiye has also positioned itself as a diplomatic facilitator in African conflicts, including its mediation role in the Somalia–Ethiopia process that produced the Ankara Declaration in December 2024.

Stage where solutions are found

As President Recep Tayyip Erdogan continues to expand Türkiye’s diplomatic outreach across Africa, the Antalya Diplomacy Forum enables the Turkish and African leaderships to convene and find solutions to emerging global challenges.

In summary, the Antalya forum will elevate cooperation, dialogue, and multilateralism as essential instruments for shaping the future of the international order.