The Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF) has kicked off in Türkiye's Mediterranean coastline city of Antalya and will host representatives from 147 countries worldwide under the theme “Elevating Diplomacy Amidst Crises.
Nearly 4,500 participants, including 19 heads of state, 73 ministers, and 57 international representatives are expected to attend the third edition of the forum, which begins on Friday.
The forum will include a wide range of participants, from diplomats and politicians to students, academics, civil society organisations, and the business community.
The forum will cover various topics such as global issues, climate crisis, migration, Islamophobia, trade wars, and artificial intelligence.
More than 50 panels will be held at the forum between March 1 and 3, with multiple exhibitions also being featured.
The Century of Türkiye exhibition, which showcases Türkiye's vision in the fields of art, energy, defence, and industry, will be opened at the forum.
The forum will also include Bulletproof Dreams: Gaza Children Painters Exhibition, organised by Türkiye's Presidency of Communications to highlight the humanitarian crisis in Gaza through the perspective of children.
Panel topics ranging from the Balkans to African issues
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 institutionalisation 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 organisations and some country representatives discussing the topic of "connectivity."
"Building Blocks for Lasting Peace in the Middle East"
A session on the Middle East will be held with four panels addressing various issues in the region.
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.
A panel on climate crisis, which will also address energy and food security, will include participation from Africa and the Middle East.
A session will support less developed countries, with the participation of representatives from the UN Technology Bank and the UNDP Private Sector Development Center.
A roundtable meeting titled "International Trade, Connectivity, and Interdependence," which will be attended by Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz, will also be held.
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