The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hakan Fidan, delivered the opening address on the second day of the International Strategic Communication (STRATCOM) Summit 2026.
Describing STRATCOM as “a truly meaningful meeting", Minister of Foreign Affairs Fidan emphasised that the current period reflects not only instability but also a systemic rupture.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Fidan assessed that this is actually the outcome of a deeper structural disruption, adding, "Because disruption is what happens when an international system loses its moral compass, strategic coherence, and its ability to produce legitimacy."
Minister of Foreign Affairs Fidan said that crises follow when institutions designed to maintain peace and security can no longer contain conflicts, prevent escalation, or create pathways to peace.
Emphasising that the question of whether the international system still has the authority and the credibility, Minister of Foreign Affairs Fidan noted that this must be assessed on the basis of justice, predictability and trust.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Fidan stated that global governance is dysfunctional and unsustainable, adding that this situation did not occur overnight.
Underscoring that it is the result of structural decay, Minister of Foreign Affairs Fidan added:
"It is the result of structural decay that Türkiye has systematically exposed for years. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s call for the reform of international institutions was not a political slogan. It was a diagnosis made long before they occurred, but many ignored it until the crisis arrived at our own doorstep. We sought to demonstrate this as the United Nations began to lose its compass."
Minister of Foreign Affairs Fidan noted that many actors have now "lost" their comfort zones in a geopolitical sense, and stated that they are faced with a self-serving status quo, but this illusion has now been shattered.
Minister Fidan said, "Those who comfortably benefited from the unjust system are facing a reality as the crises finally touch their own shores." Touching upon the importance of asking more precise questions, to which he gave examples, Minister of Foreign Affairs Fidan noted that these questions stem from real conflict zones.
Current situation in the region
"The relentless Israeli escalation, in fact, triggers a wider war," says Minister of Foreign Affairs Fidan, adding that Ankara rejects any scenario that drags regional states into a devastating conflict.
Pointing out that Iran's attempts also affect the Gulf Region, Minister of Foreign Affairs Fidan said, "Let us be clear: This may be Israel’s war of choice, but the entire world is paying the price. As the conflict prolongs, the geopolitical and economic complications multiply at an alarming rate."
Minister of Foreign Affairs Fidan stated that Türkiye has warned against this "dangerous trajectory" from day one, and the war was engineered for Netanyahu's "political survival".
Minister of Foreign Affairs Fidan reiterated that the burden of the war, unfortunately, falls upon the rest of the world, adding:
"This is precisely why we continue to call for utmost restraint. This conflict carries the potential to deepen wounds and divide nations whose destinies are intertwined. It can cause enduring scars not only in cities, but also in the hearts and minds of the peoples of our region. Moving forward, there is no viable path other than de-escalation and diplomacy. That is precisely why Türkiye, in close coordination with regional partners, is actively leading the push for a diplomatic resolution."
Recalling his recent visits to regional countries, Minister of Foreign Affairs Fidan stated that efforts were made to demonstrate solidarity and to express opposition to the ongoing conflict as well as Israel’s expansionist policies.
Emphasising that high-level dialogue is being maintained, particularly regarding Lebanon, in order to operationalise these efforts, Minister of Foreign Affairs Fidan said, "Our objective is to chart out actionable steps to end this conflict as soon as possible. This senseless war must end before further destruction unfolds, before deeper enmities take root, and before the global economy suffers irreversible damage."
Minister of Foreign Affairs Fidan also stressed that dialogue channels must remain open and that a results-oriented negotiation process must commence swiftly.
Underlining that Netanyahu’s fundamentalist and maximalist approach must not be allowed to undermine efforts toward peace, Minister Fidan said, "For too long, we have warned about this engineered chaos. The strategic objective here is to engineer a perpetual state of conflict designed to keep the nations of the region weak, divided and vulnerable."
Stating that the strategy of systemic destabilisation must be stopped, Minister of Foreign Affairs Fidan observed:
"We are confronted with a mindset that does not hesitate to target humanitarian workers, mediators, diplomats and embassies. That impunity alone exposes how severe the structural erosion of the global order has truly become. Behind this, there is also a grave warning to the international community: when the institution of diplomacy itself is deliberately put in the line of fire, the entire international architecture enters its most dangerous, terminal phase."
Noting that clarity of mind and common sense are strategic assets in moments like this, Minister of Foreign Affairs Fidan stated that Türkiye will continue to mobilise every diplomatic instrument to that end.
“Information is a battlefield”
Stating that information itself has become a battlefield and that narratives carry vital importance, Minister of Foreign Affairs Fidan emphasised that narratives are used to shape perceptions, frame reality, and obscure the truth itself.
“The starkest manifestation of this has already been unfolding right before our eyes in the case of Israel’s genocide in Gaza. For far too long, the systematic targeting of civilians has been packaged within a manufactured narrative designed to normalise this brutality," said Minister of Foreign Affairs Fidan and noted that for decades, a massive global political and media apparatus attempted to downplay Israel’s territorial expansionism.
Pointing out that news headlines are deceptive and framed with double standards, Minister of Foreign Affairs Fidan said: “Illegal invasions and unlawful occupations of Israel are sanitised in headlines. Blatant aggression is re-framed as self-defence."
Stressing that the global public is no longer blinded by these manipulated narratives, Minister of Foreign Affairs Fidan underlined that this machinery of deception remains fully operational.
Moral conscience and the new digital ecosystem
"Around the Palestinian cause, a global moral consciousness has been gathering immense force. It is growing across societies, across generations and across political boundaries," Minister Fidan said, underscoring that the common conscience will be impossible to suppress.
Noting that shaping the global narrative depends not only on what is said but also on how and where it is said, Minister of Foreign Affairs Fidan stated that a transition from traditional broadcasting to digital ecosystems has taken place within just a few generations.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Fidan emphasised that the rapid increase in data production facilitates the spread of biased and malicious content, while resilient societies depend on the healthy and secure flow of information.
Quoting Nizam al-Mulk, the great vizier of the Seljuk Turks, Minister of Foreign Affairs Fidan highlighted that the reach of words and ideas is boundless.
Referring to the importance of narratives for stability in the region, Minister Fidan said:
We must trust in our own historical depth, civilisational heritage, and capacity to shape our future. But first, we have to put out the fire. Peace and security must be restored in our region through de-escalation and diplomacy. That is the urgent task before us. Only then can prosperity follow. Regional cooperation can deepen. Stability can expand outward in wider circles. That is essentially our quest for a new order in our region."
Minister of Foreign Affairs Fidan warned against externally imposed models and emphasized the importance of focusing on long-term outcomes rather than short-term calculations.
Stating that tearing down is the work of a moment, but building is the labour of a generation, Minister of Foreign Affairs Fidan added, "That is why we need to act patiently and steadily with deepening regional coordination. One thing is certain: our region will never be the same again. In fact, the recent conflict has already galvanised a new wave of intra-regional solidarity."
Emphasising that the US/Israel–Iran war has impacted existing security arrangements, Minister Fidan said, "We all need to embrace the security responsibility of our region. Because we prosper together when there is peace and stability. And we all suffer when there is conflict and instability."
Stressing that the region must not remain vulnerable to external interventions, Minister of Foreign Affairs Fidan said, "We have seen this destructive pattern repeat every two decades. We need to break this vicious cycle with a common vision and joint endeavour. And we are going to achieve it through regional ownership."
Minister of Foreign Affairs Fidan stated that tensions must be left behind and cooperation should be expanded for the common good of all peoples in the region, reaffirming Türkiye’s commitment to advancing this shared vision in a spirit of regional solidarity.
