Hosted by the Directorate of Communications, the International Strategic Communication Summit (STRATCOM), which brings together policymakers, diplomats, communication experts, and media professionals from across the globe, is set to begin.
The STRATCOM Summit, to be held in İstanbul on 27–28 March, will host 159 high-level figures from 37 countries and 5 international organisations.
In addition to Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz and Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan, the Summit will be attended by nine ministers from foreign countries, two secretaries‑general of international organisations, and numerous members of parliament from various countries.
The Summit, to be hosted by the Presidency’s Head of Communications Burhanettin Duran, will be inaugurated by Vice President Yılmaz.
On the first day of the Summit, Minister of Information Hamza Mustafa of Syria, Minister of Foreign Affairs Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu of the TRNC, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye and AK Party MP for Ankara Fuat Oktay, Minister of Information and Broadcasting Zahir Uddin Swapon of Bangladesh, and Vice Minister of Culture and Information Kanat Zhumabayevich Iskakov of Kazakhstan will discuss the new framework of the global order from a strategic communication perspective.
In the session, former U.S. Ambassador Robert Ford, who served for many years as a diplomat in the Middle East; Founder of the Club of Venice Vincenzo Le Voci; and Chairman of the Justice Committee of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye and AK Party MP for İstanbul Cüneyt Yüksel will address the legitimacy crisis and erosion of trust within the international system.
Türkiye’s mediating role in international crises
Türkiye’s mediating role in international crises will also be among the key issues to be discussed at the Summit.
At the session to be chaired by Talha Köse, Head of the National Intelligence Academy, the importance of leader-to-leader diplomacy and mediation in times of crisis will be addressed, and in this context, emphasis will be placed on Türkiye’s mediating role in international crises under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Tawakkol Karman, a Yemeni journalist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, will address the struggle for conscience and justice in conflict zones from the perspective of media and civil society.
The second day of the Summit will be opened by Minister of Foreign Affairs Fidan. Discussions on the war in the Middle East will take place with leading experts in the field on the second day of the Summit. Ali Vaez, Iran Project Director at the US-based Crisis Group, which closely monitors regional conflicts; Hakkı Uygur, Vice President of the National Intelligence Academy; Murat Yeşiltaş, Director of Foreign Policy Studies at SETA; and John Alterman, Chair in Global Security and Geostrategy at the US-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), will assess the conflicts between Iran and the United States and Israel.
İbrahim Kalın, Director of the National Intelligence Organisation, will deliver a speech on the parameters of the new paradigm in communication—such as information, power, and narrative—on the second day of the Summit.
Haluk Görgün, President of Turkish Defence Industries, will speak on the future security architecture amid regional and global crises and the role of the Turkish defence industry.
The 5th STRATCOM Summit, held this year, is expected to feature 78 speakers, including 43 international and 35 from Türkiye.
Those wishing to attend the Summit may register no later than 18:00 on 24 March 2026.