Antalya Diplomacy Forum

The Antalya Diplomacy Forum was founded by the Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and is aimed at heads of state and government, foreign ministers and high-ranking representatives of the international organization as well as representatives from business, science, civil society and the media.^[4]

The first meeting was originally planned to be held in March 2020, but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.^[5]

On 10 March 2022, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu met for the first high-level talks since the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine in Antalya Diplomacy Forum within the framework of Russia–Ukraine peace negotiations.^[6]

At this forum, under the theme of "Recoding Diplomacy", senior politicians, diplomats, military and security experts from up to 75 countries participate to discuss the current issues in diplomacy and energy policies.

The intention of the conference is to address the topical main global issues and to debate and analyze the challenges in the present and the future in line with the concept of networked security. A focal point of the conference is the discussion and the exchange of views on the development of the transatlantic relations as well as European and global security in the 21st century.^[7]

The conference is organized privately and therefore not an official government event. It is used exclusively for discussion; an authorization for binding intergovernmental decisions does not exist. Furthermore, there is – contrary to usual conventions – no common final communiqué. The high-level meeting is also used to discrete background discussions between the participants. ADF has partnerships with the Atlantic Council, Mexican Council on Foreign Relations, Munich Security Conference and RSIS.

The meeting was originally planned to be held in March 2020, but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.^[8]

A total of 11 heads of state and government, 45 foreign ministers, and attendance at ministerial level were part of the forum. Additionally, the event was attended by about 60 representatives of international organisations and high-level personalities, guests from the business and academic world, and 256 young people in total, including undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students from more than 50 universities.

Two leaders' sessions, 15 panels, 25 side events, including ADF Talks, and two youth forums were organised.

The 2022 edition of the forum took place in 11–13 March, under the overarching theme of "Recoding Diplomacy". A total of 17 heads of state and government, 80 foreign ministers and 39 representatives of international organisations were present.^[9]

The panels that took place were named as follows:^[10]

The third edition was originally planned to be held from 10 to 12 March 2023 with the theme of "Effective Diplomacy for Peace and Order". It was initially postponed to the last quarter of the year due to the 2023 Türkiye–Syria earthquake,^[11] and was later postponed to 1–3 March 2024.^[12]

The theme of the 2024 Forum was “Advancing Diplomacy in Times of Turmoil”.^[13]

The 2025 Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF2025) was the fourth edition of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, held from 11 to 13 April 2025. The event was organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye, and brought together heads of state and government, foreign ministers, diplomats, academics, and representatives of international organizations. Held under the theme “Reclaiming Diplomacy in a Fragmented World,” ADF2025 focused on strengthening diplomatic dialogue amid increasing global polarization and geopolitical tensions. Key topics included international security, conflict resolution, multilateralism, economic cooperation, climate change, and humanitarian challenges.^[14]

The 2026 Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF2026) was the fifth edition of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, held from 17 to 19 April 2026. Organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye under the auspices of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the forum convened heads of state and government, foreign ministers, diplomats, and policy experts to address pressing global and regional challenges.^[15] Held under the theme “Mapping Tomorrow, Managing Uncertainties,” ADF2026 focused on geopolitical tensions, multilateral cooperation, and conflict resolution.^[16] A significant aspect of the 2026 forum was its role as a platform for diplomatic engagement related to the conflict between the United States and Iran. Pakistan emerged as a key participant, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar actively engaging with global leaders on the sidelines. Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts, including hosting talks and facilitating communication between Washington and Tehran, were widely acknowledged at the forum.^[17][18]