The fourth edition of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF) has kicked off in Türkiye’s premier resort city, bringing together global leaders, diplomats, policymakers, experts, and academics to address pressing international challenges in a time of major geopolitical shifts.
The event opened on April 11 with keynote speeches by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.
Held over three days, the forum is centred around the theme “Reclaiming Diplomacy in a Fragmented World” and aims to explore how diplomacy can be reimagined to tackle both regional and global challenges.
The forum is expected to draw over 4,000 participants, including more than 20 heads of state and government, over 70 ministers — more than 50 of whom are foreign ministers — and around 60 senior representatives from international organisations.
Among the attendees are also academics, experts, and students. As delegations begin to arrive, activity has already picked up at Antalya Airport. In total, around 450 representatives from approximately 140 countries and nearly 950 journalists from almost 50 countries have been accredited for the event.
Over 50 sessions will be held during the forum, covering topics, from the Middle East to the Asia-Pacific, Africa to Latin America, as well as key global issues such as climate change, counterterrorism, humanitarian aid, digitisation, food security, and artificial intelligence.
Among the high-level participants of the forum are Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Turkish Cypriot President Ersin Tatar, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Montenegrin President Jakov Milatovic, Sierra Leone President Julius Maada Bio, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Guinea-Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embalo, Hungarian President Viktor Orban and Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu.
Heart of diplomacy
Antalya’s Governor Ersin Sahin expressed his pride in hosting the fourth edition of the forum this year.
Sahin highlighted that Antalya, a city with global recognition, will welcome heads of state and government, foreign ministers, representatives of numerous NGOs and international organisations, academics, and members of the press as part of the forum. He emphasised the city’s proven record in successfully hosting major events.
Recalling that Antalya has previously hosted significant gatherings such as the G20 and NATO summits, Sahin continued:
"It is a source of pride for us that diplomacy is taking root, flourishing, and growing in Antalya, and that the city is becoming a platform for resolving regional, national, and international issues through dialogue.
Not only will the Diplomacy Forum be held here, but also the Parliamentary Assembly and NATO Foreign Ministers’ meetings, and in 2026, the world’s largest space congress will take place in Antalya. The city is proud to position itself as a hub for such congresses, conferences, and events — and the Diplomacy Forum is among the most important of these."
Sahin added that all preparations for the forum in the city have been completed. “We have begun welcoming our guests,” he said. “All our hotels are ready. Antalya is not just one of Türkiye’s but one of the world’s leading cities in terms of hotel capacity. Every detail has been taken care of.”
