Türkiye’s Antalya Diplomacy Forum in the age of multipolarity

The Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF), a concrete expression of Türkiye’s contribution to global diplomacy and global peace, was held in Antalya from April 11-13, 2025. This year’s main theme was “Embracing Diplomacy in a Diverging World.”

Inaugurated by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his wife Emine Erdoğan, the forum was attended by 21 heads of state and government, 70 ministers, and approximately 450 high-level national and international bureaucrats. Additionally, numerous business people, academics, diplomats, and representatives of think tanks were present at the forum. Many bilateral meetings, sessions, and panels were organized as part of the forum. In total, over 6,000 guests from 155 countries were hosted. Nearly 1,000 journalists from almost 50 countries covered the 50 sessions held during the forum. Most government representatives came from Asia and Africa. The majority of general guests were from Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Europe. Africa was the continent with the highest number of attending government representatives. This, in a way, is a testament to Türkiye’s diplomatic success in Africa over the past 20 years.

Among the guests attending the forum were important figures from many countries, including BRICS member Indonesia, Georgia (subject to Western sanctions), Hungary (a dissenting voice in the EU), Syria (closely watched by the world), and both Russia and Ukraine, which are still at war. Indeed, actors of all kinds from all over the world convened in Antalya. This once again demonstrated that the Ankara-centered global diplomatic table is open to everyone.

This growing interest in the ADF with each passing year particularly reflects Türkiye’s increasing appeal. Ankara’s solution-oriented mediation and inspiring vision have transformed it into a sought-after stabilizing actor at every table, in every region, and for every issue. In a divided, fragmented, and diverging world, Turkish diplomacy presents a unifying, integrating, and cohesive framework. The ADF defines diplomacy as the greatest power against wars and conflicts. Therefore, we are talking about a mechanism that embraces diplomacy, opens diplomatic channels, and enhances diplomacy. Frankly, the new world order must possess new diplomatic mechanisms. The ADF is a product of this necessity.

Given the level of representation and diversity of countries, the non-participation or reluctance of our Western friends to attend the ADF is not considered a loss. Indeed, the ADF enables the non-Western world to listen to and understand one another. This is because many actors, who for years have been prejudiced, distant, and detached from one another, find an opportunity for dialogue here.

At the Antalya Diplomacy Forum 2025, held under the auspices of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and hosted by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, the preference for increased dialogue and diplomacy in response to escalating conflicts and issues within the multipolar international system was thoroughly discussed. Although the Antalya Diplomacy Forum was themed “Embracing Diplomacy in a Diverging World,” it also addressed multipolarity as a new era that is being experienced, acknowledged, and for which preparations must be made.

One of the most critical panels at the ADF was the leaders’ panel titled “The Quest for Partnership in the Age of Multipolarity.” President Erdoğan’s statement, “A fairer world is possible,” was complemented by his own words: “The world is bigger than five. Humanity is bigger than five.” [This is a well-known critique by President Erdoğan referring to the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, ed. note.]

Hakan Fidan, the head of the Turkish foreign service [Ministry of Foreign Affairs] and host of the forum, delivered a speech acknowledging the international system as multipolar and presenting a governance philosophy for this new situation, stating, “Türkiye aspires to manage multipolarity not through competition, but through wisdom [Turkish: hikmet, ed. note].”

Speaking at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz emphasized that we now live in a multipolar world and drew attention to the need to manage this process effectively by keeping communication channels constantly open for a more just multipolar world order.

Indeed, the ADF aims to mitigate the harsh competition and negative aspects that can arise from multipolarity, thereby facilitating its manageability. Therefore, the ADF offers a non-Western vision for global governance. Turkish wisdom [Turkish: hikmet] and sagacity possess the accumulated experience and capability to generate solutions for global and regional crises.

Among the most important features of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum are; offering opportunities for dialogue and cooperation, focusing on global issues, ensuring broad international participation, providing a vision for young diplomats, and promoting Turkish foreign policy.

Its annually increasing number and diversity of participants, its development of concrete solutions for global and regional problems, its fostering and deepening of cooperation among nations, its enhancement of civilizational and cultural communication, its establishment of strong ties with the Global South and developing countries, and its interaction with international media will elevate the ADF to the status of a global force. Indeed, in a short time, the ADF has already earned an effective and respected position in global diplomacy.

The concept of a Türkiye-centered diplomacy, as an alternative to Western-centric diplomacy, has been brought to life through the ADF. At the ADF, we observe that participants predominantly come from Asia, Africa, and Latin America—that is, from the non-Western world—rather than from the West. In our world, which is transforming into a multi-centric, multi-civilizational, democratic international system, the ADF not only reflects this but has also presented a diplomatic “snapshot” that accelerates this transformation.

The forum’s particular emphasis on a multipolar world order highlights the increased diversity and the role of numerous actors within the global system. Today, power balances in the international system are not confined to the West. We are in an era where the influence of rising powers from regions such as Asia, Latin America, and Africa is making itself felt. Therefore, the Antalya Diplomacy Forum is one of the platforms where rising powers and the Global South can make their voices heard.

Türkiye’s Antalya Diplomacy Forum is a non-Western platform, similar to China’s Boao Forum for Asia, India’s Raisina Dialogue, and Russia’s Valdai Discussion Club, initiated by other rising powers.

The ADF was not established as a forum where the same participants discuss the same topics year after year merely for show [Turkish idiom: “dostlar alışverişte görsün,” meaning “just for appearances”, ed. note]. Each year, the forum hosts expert guests from different parts of the world, specializing in diverse subjects. Therefore, the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, by giving a voice to new actors each year, possesses a dynamic and vibrant system. In this process, the ADF stands out as the most successful mechanism for building Türkiye’s soft power and public diplomacy.

In a multi-centric, multi-civilizational world, the ADF is an important step towards enabling dialogue among numerous regional and global actors, as well as different civilizations, cultures, and religions, all participating on an equal footing to ensure peace and stability. By bringing together participants from the Global South, North, East, and West, the forum strengthens mutual understanding and tolerance among different civilizations. The forum establishes an inclusive table where the views of not only major powers but also many medium-sized and small, rich and poor countries are considered. Therefore, as a global forum where states and nations from diverse continents and systems can make their voices heard, the ADF is a structure that strengthens democratic representation.

In an age of uncertainty and a global leadership deficit, the ADF is a multi-faceted solution mechanism where the ideas of numerous actors converge to address multiple crises. While the ADF serves as a global discussion forum, it is also a structure that brings countries together for bilateral talks. Türkiye’s proven success in mediation has been elevated to a global level through the ADF. With its broad and diverse participant profile, the ADF also fosters cultural interaction and communication. The flexible and sincere atmosphere fostered by the ADF serves as a meeting point for both formal and informal interactions. Therefore, the ADF is instrumental in charting an alternative global course beyond the Western-centric model.