The Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF) is an international platform aimed at addressing global and regional issues within an inclusive, innovative, and peaceful dialogue environment. Established by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye in 2019, the ADF was created in response to the evolving nature of diplomacy.
Rooted in the historical and symbolic significance of Antalya, the ADF features the Lycian League Assembly of the ancient city of Patara — 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.
Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF)
From the perspective of conference diplomacy, the ADF seeks to enhance Türkiye’s global influence as a provider of soft power and public diplomacy. By bringing together diverse actors beyond state-to-state relations — including civil society, the private sector, academics, and media — the forum strengthens its capacity to generate solutions to contemporary challenges.
Objective and Scope
The ADF aims to respond to the changing understanding of diplomacy shaped by globalization, technological advancement, and shifts in international relations. Today, diplomacy is no longer limited to state-to-state interactions but has become a multilayered process encompassing diverse stakeholders such as civil society, the private sector, academics, and media. The ADF brings these stakeholders together to foster innovative and constructive dialogue 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.
The forum seeks 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 conceptual gap in diplomacy, the ADF focuses on innovative tools, mediation strategies, and regional cooperation mechanisms for conflict resolution. It also aims to produce solutions to address institutional dysfunction and lack of trust within international organizations, thereby contributing to more effective global governance.
Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF)
History and Events
1. Antalya Diplomacy Forum (2021)
- 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 during the global pandemic period. 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.
- 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. Developing innovative approaches to global challenges and promoting multi-stakeholder dialogue were among its core objectives. This event, reflecting Türkiye’s proactive and humanitarian foreign policy vision, marked a significant step in enhancing the ADF’s international recognition.
Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF)
2. Antalya Diplomacy Forum (2022)
- Date and Theme: The second ADF, held from 11 to 13 March 2022 under the theme “Reimagining Diplomacy,” secured a prominent place in the global diplomatic calendar.
- 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. Participating 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 livestreamed online, including via a metaverse environment, reaching approximately 200,000 virtual viewers.
Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF)
- Contributions: The second ADF attracted global attention particularly due to the first political meeting between the foreign ministers of Ukraine and Russia at the outset of the war between the two countries. Additionally, during a meeting between the Turkish and Armenian foreign ministers, representatives from both countries expressed positive intentions to continue the normalization process and supported efforts to establish peace 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.
Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF)
3. Antalya Diplomacy Forum (2024)
- 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 for comprehensive dialogue. The forum addressed global challenges including ongoing wars, terrorism, irregular migration, xenophobia, Islamophobia, unpredictable risks of artificial intelligence, climate change, natural disasters, pandemics, and widening socioeconomic disparities. During a year when one-third of the world’s population voted in elections, topics such as the impact of elections on international issues and disinformation spread through artificial intelligence were also discussed.
Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF)
- 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 operating environment for states. Embracing a new understanding of diplomacy that extends beyond traditional dialogue frameworks, the forum assessed innovative tools and strategies to address global challenges. It provided a space for collective thinking in search of peaceful outcomes during this turbulent period and, as an interactive platform, discussed the challenges shaping global and regional agendas. It reinforced Türkiye’s role in the international arena as a provider of soft power and public diplomacy.
4. Antalya Diplomacy Forum (2025)
- 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 issues such as geopolitical tensions, global inequalities, violence against civilians, intolerance, uncertainties arising from technological transformation, and the impacts of the climate crisis. The forum evaluated the role of diplomacy in addressing the challenges confronting the current international system.
Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF)
- Contributions: ADF 2025 provided a dialogue platform to enhance the functionality of diplomacy amid changing global dynamics by analyzing systemic problems facing the multilateral order. Innovative approaches to conflict resolution, mediation mechanisms, and regional cooperation strategies were discussed. Functional shortcomings and lack of trust within international organizations were addressed, and recommendations for more effective global governance were developed. The contributions of non-state actors, particularly civil society and private sector representatives, to diplomacy were emphasized. By offering a multi-stakeholder dialogue environment on global and regional issues, the forum contributed to strengthening diplomacy through an inclusive and adaptive approach.
Institutional Structure and Contributions
On 10 January 2023, the ADF acquired foundation status through a law published in the Official Gazette, establishing itself as an independent institutional entity. This step aims to enhance the forum’s visibility and influence internationally. The ADF offers an informal diplomatic environment open to contributions from all participants without distinction. For example, the 212 bilateral meetings held during the second ADF demonstrated the forum’s diplomatic functionality.
The forum, closely followed by global media, was attended by over 2,000 journalists, 585 of whom were foreign. The meetings 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.
Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF)
The forum strengthens Türkiye’s prestigious position in foreign policy while contributing 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 to internationally recognized conferences such as the Munich Security Conference, the Davos Summit, and the Doha Forum, the ADF has rapidly attained similar 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 recognition.
Future Vision
The ADF has established itself as a lasting international platform that expands the traditional horizons of diplomacy, contributing to Türkiye’s “Century Vision.” The forum continues to promote global cooperation by facilitating the discussion of innovative policies in a friendly and sincere atmosphere.
Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF)
Türkiye’s positioning as a strong actor both on the ground and at the negotiating table has secured the ADF’s place 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.
