Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF)

Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF) is an international platform aimed at fostering an inclusive, innovative, and peaceful dialogue on global and regional issues. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye laid the foundations of the ADF in 2019 in response to the evolving nature of diplomacy.

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Drawing on Antalya’s historical and symbolic significance, the ADF features the Lycian League Assembly, known as the world’s first democratic parliament, in its logo. This reflects the ADF’s mission to carry forward humanity’s tradition of resolving disputes through negotiation into modern diplomacy.

From the perspective of conference diplomacy, the ADF aims to enhance Türkiye’s global influence through the instruments of soft power and public diplomacy. By bringing together diverse actors—civil society, the business community, academics, and media—beyond state-to-state relations, it strengthens the capacity to generate solutions to contemporary challenges.

The ADF seeks to respond to the changing understanding of diplomacy shaped by globalization, technological advancements, and shifts in international relations. Today, diplomacy is no longer limited to state-to-state interactions but has evolved into a multilayered process encompassing diverse stakeholders such as civil society, the private sector, academics, and media. The ADF brings these stakeholders together to create an innovative and constructive dialogue environment on political, economic, social, and environmental issues. In an era when traditional diplomacy has proven inadequate in addressing contemporary challenges such as climate change, irregular migration, regional conflicts, and global pandemics, the ADF promotes a more inclusive, adaptable, and resilient approach to diplomacy.

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The forum aims to convene global leaders, policymakers, opinion leaders, academics, business representatives, and civil society actors to discuss current trends in international relations and develop solution-oriented approaches. By filling a gap in the intellectual dimension of diplomacy, the ADF focuses on innovative tools, mediation strategies, and regional cooperation mechanisms for conflict resolution. It also seeks to generate solutions for more effective global governance by addressing institutional dysfunction and trust deficits within international organizations.

• Date and Theme: The first physical ADF, held from 18 to 20 June 2021 under the theme “Innovative Diplomacy: A New Era, New Approaches,” became one of the largest international events following the global pandemic. Originally planned for 2020 under the theme “Diplomacy in the Digital Age,” it was postponed due to the pandemic and replaced with virtual activities that contributed to the global diplomatic agenda.

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• Participants and Scope: The forum welcomed 10 heads of state or government, 43 ministers, and approximately 2,000 participants in total. One in every five foreign ministers worldwide attended the event. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and then Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu conducted over 50 bilateral meetings.

• Contributions: The first ADF drew attention as a platform emphasizing the need to reshape diplomacy in the post-pandemic era. Its core objectives included developing innovative approaches to global challenges and promoting multistakeholder dialogue. This event, reflecting Türkiye’s proactive and humanitarian foreign policy vision, marked a significant step in enhancing the ADF’s international visibility.

• Date and Theme: The second ADF, held from 11 to 13 March 2022 under the theme “Reimagining Diplomacy,” established itself as a key event on the global diplomatic calendar.

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• Participants and Scope: A total of 3,260 guests attended, including 17 heads of state or government, 80 ministers, and 40 representatives of international organizations. Participant countries represented approximately 40 percent of the world’s states. The forum brought together 220 speakers across 42 sessions and hosted 212 bilateral meetings. All sessions were live-streamed online, including via a metaverse environment, reaching approximately 200,000 online viewers.

• Contributions: The second ADF attracted global attention, notably for facilitating the first high-level political talks between the foreign ministers of Ukraine and Russia at the outset of the war. Additionally, meetings between Turkish and Armenian foreign ministers expressed positive intentions to continue the normalization process and supported peace-building efforts in the region. The forum was closely followed by global media and attended by over 2,000 journalists, 585 of whom were foreign. This event demonstrated the ADF’s role as a central platform for diplomatic solutions on a global scale.

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• Date and Theme: The third ADF, held from 1 to 3 March 2024 under the theme “Highlighting Diplomacy in Times of Crisis,” was organized under the patronage of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of the Republic of Türkiye and initiated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

• Participants and Scope: Heads of state and government, ministers, diplomats, business leaders, academics, think tanks, youth, and media representatives gathered to engage in broad dialogue. The forum addressed global challenges such as ongoing wars, terrorism, irregular migration, xenophobia, Islamophobia, unpredictable risks of artificial intelligence, climate change, natural disasters, pandemics, and widening socioeconomic disparities. In a year when one-third of the world’s population voted in elections, discussions also covered the impact of elections on international issues and disinformation spread through artificial intelligence.

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• Contributions: ADF 2024 responded to concerning trends such as the erosion of trust in the rules-based international order and the declining predictability of the global operating environment. By embracing a new understanding of diplomacy beyond traditional frameworks, it evaluated innovative tools and strategies to address global challenges. The forum provided a space for collective thinking in pursuit of peaceful solutions during a turbulent period and, as an interactive platform, discussed the key issues shaping the global and regional agendas. It reinforced Türkiye’s role in international affairs as a vehicle of soft power and public diplomacy.

• Date and Theme: Held from 11 to 13 April 2025 under the theme “Owning Diplomacy in a Fragmenting World,” the forum was hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye.

• Participants and Scope: The forum brought together heads of state and government, foreign ministers, representatives of international organizations, academics, business leaders, civil society organizations, and media personnel. Discussions covered geopolitical tensions, global inequalities, violence against civilians, intolerance, uncertainties arising from technological transformation, and the impacts of the climate crisis. The forum assessed the role of diplomacy in addressing the challenges confronting the current international system.

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• Contributions: ADF 2025 provided a dialogue platform to analyze systemic problems facing the multilateral order and enhance the effectiveness of diplomacy amid changing global dynamics. Innovative approaches to conflict resolution, mediation mechanisms, and regional cooperation strategies were discussed. Functional shortcomings and trust deficits in international institutions were addressed, with proposals developed for more effective global governance. The contributions of non-state actors, particularly civil society and private sector representatives, to diplomacy were emphasized. By offering a multistakeholder dialogue environment on global and regional issues, the forum contributed to strengthening diplomacy through an inclusive and adaptive approach.

• Date and Theme: The fifth ADF will be held from 17 to 19 April 2026 at the NEST Congress and Fair Center in Antalya, under the patronage of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of the Republic of Türkiye and hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, under the theme “Navigating Uncertainties While Designing the Future.”

• Participants and Scope: The forum will bring together heads of state and government, foreign ministers, ministers, representatives of international organizations, academics, think tank representatives, civil society and media personnel. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of the Republic of Türkiye, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, and numerous state and government representatives from various countries, along with senior officials from international organizations, will participate. High-level representatives from NATO, the United Nations, the Council of Europe, the African Union, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and various regional organizations, as well as numerous foreign ministers and diplomats from different countries, will attend. The forum will address global geopolitical developments, security issues, economic transformations, climate change, migration movements, regional conflicts, and international cooperation mechanisms. Participants will assess global and regional challenges and share policy approaches and solution proposals through panels, sessions, and bilateral meetings.

• Program and Operations: The forum will open on 17 April 2026 with opening sessions. On the same day, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will deliver speeches at the official opening session. Throughout the day, leader panels, ADF panels, ADF Round, and ADF Talks sessions will be held. On 18 April 2026, sessions will continue throughout the day. The forum will conclude on 19 April 2026 with a press conference by the Foreign Minister following the final sessions.

• Contributions: ADF 2026 aims to strengthen international cooperation, dialogue, and solidarity in addressing, anticipating, and resolving global challenges in an increasingly uncertain international environment. By providing a multistakeholder platform for developing a more inclusive, equitable, and effective international system, the forum will enable the formulation of shared policy and solution approaches for the future.

On 10 January 2023, the ADF acquired foundation status through a law published in the Official Gazette, establishing an independent institutional identity. This step aims to enhance the forum’s visibility and impact internationally. The ADF offers an informal diplomatic environment as an open platform for contributions from all participants without discrimination. For example, the 212 bilateral meetings held during the second ADF demonstrated the forum’s diplomatic functionality.

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Closely followed by global media, the forum has been covered on-site by over 2,000 journalists, 585 of whom are foreign. The talks between Russia and Ukraine and between Türkiye and Armenia received extensive coverage in the international press, demonstrating the ADF’s role as a central platform for diplomatic solutions.

Strengthening Türkiye’s prestigious position in foreign policy, the forum also contributes to global peace and stability. With its diverse participation from different geographies and disciplines, the ADF has earned a respected place on the international diplomatic calendar. Compared with internationally recognized conferences such as the Munich Security Conference, the Davos Forum, and the Doha Forum, the ADF has rapidly attained comparable prestige. Türkiye’s proactive approach to regional issues such as the Syrian civil war, the refugee crisis, and the Ukraine-Russia conflict has contributed significantly to the ADF’s international visibility.

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The ADF has established itself as a lasting international platform by expanding the traditional horizons of diplomacy and contributing to Türkiye’s “Century Vision.” It continues to promote global cooperation by facilitating the discussion of innovative policies in a friendly and sincere environment.

Türkiye’s positioning as a strong actor both on the ground and at the negotiating table has solidified the ADF’s status as a model of conference diplomacy within the discipline of international relations. Alongside other Turkish initiatives such as the Istanbul Mediation Conferences and the TRT World Forum, the ADF enhances Türkiye’s brand value in the field of global diplomacy.