ANTALYA DIPLOMACY FORUM: FEATURED TOPICS 11-13 APRIL 2025

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ANTALYA DIPLOMACY FORUM: FEATURED TOPICS 11-13 APRIL 2025

Answering questions from members of the press on the last day of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, which was held for the fourth time this year, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stated that there is no definite meeting between President Erdoğan and US President Donald Trump.

In her statements on April 11, White House Spokesperson Karoline Leavitt had made the following assessment regarding whether US President Donald Trump would visit Türkiye during his trip to the Middle East in May: "There may be other countries as part of this trip."

Speaking on the last day of the ADF, Fidan responded to a question on this issue by saying, "There is no definite issue at the moment, our work continues. Will the meeting be in Türkiye or in the US? These are ongoing issues between our ministries."

One of the questions posed to Fidan was about the possible tension with Turkey, which has recently come to the fore after Israel hit the T4 airport in Syria.

Fidan stated that talks were held with Israel "to prevent an accident" and "to avoid confrontation."

The Minister of Foreign Affairs added, "Our President generally intends to visit Syria. We are continuing our work on this issue. Our President will visit Syria when the conditions are met."

The theme of this year's Antalya Diplomacy Forum, which opened with a speech by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, was determined as "Embracing Diplomacy in a Divided World."

Hakan Fidan stated in his statement on April 13 that more than 6,000 people, including 21 heads of state and government and 64 ministers from 155 countries, attended the Antalya Diplomacy Forum.

"We emphasized that diplomacy will not be through polarization but through compromise. We underlined the power of diplomacy to relieve the pain in our region," he added.

The ADF, which had limited participation from America and Europe, was notable for turning into a platform that progressed with representatives from Africa, the Middle East and the Balkans.

It is important for the evaluation of the results to be obtained from the ADF that the issues discussed are addressed from a perspective that appeals more to the "global South" and that the West is mentioned in a critical language.

The ADF, which was held at the NEST Congress Center in Belek between April 11-13, emphasized that the role of diplomacy in resolving regional and global issues should be refocused and that dialogue and other methods should be prioritized for solving problems.

The ADF officially began on April 11 with the opening speeches of President Erdoğan and Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan.

Erdoğan's speech emphasizes Israel and Syria
President Erdoğan said in his speech that they are trying to establish good relations with neighboring countries and create a "peace and security belt" around Turkey.

Criticizing Israel's policies, Erdoğan added that Israel, which he described as a "terror state," is "clearly committing genocide against the Palestinian people."

Regarding Türkiye's tension with Israel in Syria, he said, "No one should misunderstand our cool-headedness, our attitude of resolving issues through dialogue, our calmness should not lead anyone to wrong enthusiasms."

"We are in a state of understanding and close dialogue with influential actors in the region, especially Trump and Putin, in preserving Syria's territorial integrity."

Regarding global economic developments, Erdoğan said, "We are doing our best to prevent the commercial competition that has escalated over customs tariffs from becoming destructive, Türkiye will be one of the winners of this process."

Bilateral meetings with numerous countries

Among the leaders that President Erdoğan held separate meetings with are Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar, Hungarian President Viktor Orban, as well as the presidents of countries such as Somalia, Indonesia, Guinea-Bisseau, Kosovo and Karabakh.

The fact that Ahmed Shara, who seized power in Syria after the overthrow of the Assad regime on December 8, has also joined the ADF is considered a development that increases the importance of this platform in terms of following the agenda, especially on the subject of Syria.

The ADF also provided an important platform in terms of ensuring that the new period that has started in Syria is addressed with all its headings. The fact that a special panel will be organized on this subject was also considered a sign of this.

Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset and OSCE Secretary General Feridun Sinirlioğlu also stood out as representatives of international organizations that will participate in the ADF. However, there was no high-level participation from the EU and other European countries.

Bilateral meetings stand out
ADF, unlike other thought platforms, stands out because it addresses global issues instead of a single region and theme.

In ADF, which has become a platform where all symmetrical and asymmetrical issues are discussed on a global scale, it is noteworthy that all topics from Africa to Latin America, from the Middle East to Europe and Asia-Pacific are addressed.

ADF, where more than 50 panels will be held, also hosted many discussions such as migration and terrorism, human trafficking, terrorism, climate change and digitalization.

Despite the depth of these issues, ADF participants use these platforms mostly for bilateral contacts. Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan and other participants have made hundreds of bilateral contacts.

Gaza, Ukraine issues in the foreground
ADF, which has become the visible face of Turkish foreign policy, which is increasing its influence in the world, also served as a platform for Turkey to address the issues it prioritizes.

Among these priorities were the recent developments in issues such as Gaza, Syria and Ukraine.

The foreign ministers of Russia and Ukraine, Sergey Lavrov and Andrii Sybiha, were also in Antalya, but there was no program for the two foreign ministers to meet directly or indirectly.

Lavrov made a presentation on his country's policies at a panel held on April 12. Foreign Minister Fidan also met with both ministers separately.

The ADF was also an important platform for Gaza. The first meeting before the official opening of the ADF was held by the Gaza Contact Group.

The foreign ministers of Turkey, Bahrain, Indonesia, Palestine, Jordan, Egypt, Qatar and Saudi Arabia discussed plans to bring the Gaza issue back to the forefront and silence the guns after Israel broke the ceasefire.

Fidan said in a statement on April 13, "The only country that will use influence on Israel other than war is the US. Our expectation is that steps will be taken to ensure permanent peace. It is clear that this genocide will continue as long as support from Europe and America is not cut off. The sensitivity over Gaza should definitely not end."

The Gaza Contact Group, which was formed after the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023, convened for the first time in Türkiye on the margins of the ADF. bbc

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