Speaking at the opening of the 5th Antalya Diplomacy Forum, President Erdoğan said: “Five years ago, we set out with the goal of establishing a global platform to take the pulse of diplomacy. Today, we see that the Antalya Diplomacy Forum has become a shared platform for global wisdom, conscience, and, above all, hope for the future.”
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and First Lady Emine Erdoğan attended the opening ceremony of the 5th Antalya Diplomacy Forum, held with the theme “Mapping Tomorrow, Managing Uncertainties.” President Erdoğan delivered a speech at the event.
Voicing his hope that the 5th Antalya Diplomacy Forum may lead to auspicious results, President Erdoğan said: “As Türkiye, we do not limit the Antalya Diplomacy Forum to the confines of the concept of diplomatic engagement. We consider this organization as a platform for in-depth discussions on where the world is headed, the values around which humanity can unite, and what new areas of interaction might emerge.”
Underscoring that diplomacy today is no longer merely a forum for negotiating issues, disputes, and interests, President Erdoğan said: “Diplomacy also represents a forum for discussing what principles that will shape humanity’s shared future. Five years ago, we set out with the goal of establishing a global platform to take the pulse of diplomacy. Today, we see that the Antalya Diplomacy Forum has become a shared platform for global wisdom, conscience, and, above all, hope for the future. I believe that the discussions that will take place over the course of three days under the theme of ‘Mapping Tomorrow, Managing Uncertainties’ will further highlight this distinctive and special aspect of the forum.”
“The world is experiencing a crisis of power and direction”
“To explain the upheavals currently taking place in the international system solely in terms of shifts in the balance of power would lead us away from the essence of the matter,” President Erdoğan said. “Yes, the balance of power is changing. Yes, new actors are rising. Yes, competition is escalating, intensifying, and becoming more destructive. However, none of this changes the fact that we are faced with a far more severe rupture. Today, the world is experiencing not only a crisis of power but also a crisis of direction. At this point, it is clear that we are at a serious and dangerous threshold. The system purported to be rules-based remains silent where rules are violated, while the mechanisms tasked with protecting human rights and global security remain ineffective—and often indifferent—in the face of the most severe attacks.”
“Crisis unfolding in the global system is, first and foremost, a moral and existential crisis”
“The actual issue here is selective justice, instrumentalized principles, and our shared values that have been reduced to mere tools of power dynamics. Therefore, the crisis unfolding in the global system is, first and foremost, a moral and existential crisis. To grasp the scale of this crisis, one need only look at Gaza in the aftermath of October 7. Over the past two and a half years, 73,000 Palestinians have lost their lives in Israeli attacks, while the number of injured exceeds 172,000. The number of children torn from life while still in their infancy has surpassed 21,000, and the number of orphans has exceeded 58,000. Despite the ceasefire, 754 Palestinians were martyred, and 2,100 were wounded,” President Erdoğan said.
“First, we must acknowledge this: It is not enough to view what is happening in Gaza merely as a humanitarian tragedy. The genocide in Gaza has shown us very clearly what the current system permits, what it turns a blind eye to, and whom it protects,” President Erdoğan underlined.
“How can we be expected to trust a system that has failed the most basic test of humanity?”
“We must all search our consciences and courageously seek answers to the following questions: If a system cannot protect innocent babies in incubators from bullets, if it cannot prevent the mass targeting of civilians, if institutions and rules cannot stop the atrocities by the oppressors, is this not structural decay, an ontological corruption? Is this not the most glaring manifestation of a crisis of morality and legitimacy? How can we be expected to trust a system that has failed the most basic test of humanity—recently in Syria and Gaza, and today in the West Bank and Lebanon? Moreover, how can we possibly stand idly by in the face of a crisis when this system directly affects the future of our brothers, sisters, friends, and children?” President Erdoğan said.
“Let me be clear; unless the representation gap we have brought to humanity’s agenda for 13 years under the principle ‘the World is Bigger than Five’ is addressed, neither this systemic crisis can be resolved, nor can a fairer world be built,” President Erdoğan underscored.
“The shortest path to peace is constructive dialogue and diplomacy”
“A global system that upholds only the law of the powerful will lead humanity towards far deeper and greater conflicts and injustices. The war that filled our region with the smell of gunpowder for 40 days was the most recent example. We welcome the 15-day ceasefire secured through the efforts of my dear brother, Prime Minister Sharif of Pakistan, in this senseless and costly war instigated by the provocations of the Israeli government. We believe that the window of opportunity emerged following the ceasefire must be utilized in the most effective way possible to achieve a lasting peace. Regardless of how deep the disagreements are, dialogue must never give way to weapons, nor negotiation to violence. Let us not forget: the shortest path to peace is constructive dialogue and diplomacy. And peace, as our People’s Alliance partner Mr. Devlet Bahçeli so aptly put it, ‘is not a one-winged bird.’ It is of the utmost importance that the parties act with a spirit of compromise, patience, and common sense to achieve results. Furthermore, at this critical stage, we must remain prepared and vigilant against Israel’s attempts to undermine the negotiation process,” President Erdoğan said.
“Gulf countries’ right to access the open seas must not be restricted”
Noting that Türkiye’s stance regarding the Hormuz Strait is clear, President Erdoğan said: “If one side of the Strait of Hormuz belongs to Iran, the other side belongs to Oman. The Gulf countries’ right to access the open seas must not be restricted. What matters is to ensure freedom of navigation based on established rules and to keep the Strait of Hormuz open to commercial vessels. It is observed that the war has accelerated the search for alternative routes for delivering energy resources in neighboring regions to international markets. As Türkiye, I would like it to be known that we are open to cooperation with our neighbors in the fields of energy and connectivity through visionary projects such as the Development Road.”
“STRENGTHENING PEACE, STABILITY, AND NORMALIZATION IN SYRIA IS OF VITAL IMPORTANCE FOR THE FUTURE OF OUR REGION”
“We are saddened by the destruction and loss of life caused by the war in Ukraine, another conflict area close to us, President Erdoğan said. “We still maintain our belief that the war will come to an end through a negotiation process in which the parties are represented fairly and equally. Let me state here with all sincerity that Türkiye is ready to support any facilitative steps to ensure the continuation of direct negotiations, including a Leaders’ Summit, provided that the parties are willing to do so. Strengthening peace, stability, and normalization in our neighbor Syria is of vital importance for the future of our region. We are pleased with the progress this country has made over the past one and a half years under the wise leadership of Syrian President al Sharaa, and I would like to note that we will continue to stand by the Syrian people in the future.”
Stating that consolidating peace, stability, and prosperity remains a top priority in their vision for the Balkans, shaped by deep-rooted historical ties, President Erdoğan expressed great hope for the Balkans Peace Platform, which they have launched with this vision in mind.
Noting that they are strengthening the Organization of Turkic States—which they view as a guarantor of peace and stability in Eurasia—day by day, President Erdoğan announced that they will assume the rotating presidency from Azerbaijan at the 13th Turkic World Summit to be held in Türkiye in the final quarter of this year.
“We continue to strongly support the Trans-Caspian East-West Middle Corridor initiative”
Emphasizing that they would further enhance the organization’s international activities and visibility during their presidency, President Erdoğan said: “In coordination with Azerbaijan, we are steadily advancing our normalization process with our neighbor Armenia. In this context, we continue to strongly support the Trans-Caspian East-West Middle Corridor initiative, which is the most reliable route for trade between Asia and Europe. We want to see the Aegean Sea and the Eastern Mediterranean as a basin of stability and prosperity. To this end, just as we reject unilateral and maximalist approaches that seek to exclude Türkiye and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, we also do not find futile efforts that seek to benefit from a climate of conflict to be appropriate. The resolute stance of the Turkish Cypriots has now proven to the entire world the reality that there are two separate peoples and two separate states on the Island of Cyprus. It is our belief that the positive atmosphere we have established with our neighbor Greece should contribute not only to the resolution of our bilateral issues but also to putting an end to rights violations against the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace.”
“We sincerely support the territorial integrity, sovereignty, and development efforts of African countries”
Stating that active efforts to restore calm and security in Libya, another kindred geography, President Erdoğan said: “We sincerely support the territorial integrity, sovereignty, and development efforts of African countries. We stand by every diplomatic effort aimed at ending the conflicts that have been ongoing in Sudan since April 2023. Our support for Somalia’s territorial integrity and economic prosperity—a country that has taken significant steps toward ensuring stability and security in recent years—remains unwavering.”
“As Türkiye, while pursuing peaceful foreign policies in various regions and continents, we are also consolidating our existing ties of alliance,” President Erdoğan said.
“Türkiye is an integral part of Europe”
Noting that Türkiye, as one of the leading countries of NATO, which serves as a guarantor of collective security in the Euro-Atlantic region, will host the Leaders’ Summit in Ankara on July 7–8 this year, President Erdoğan stated that they hope to make significant decisions at the Summit that will carry the Alliance strongly into the future, and that they have already laid the groundwork for this.
“As history, geography, and geopolitics constantly remind us, Türkiye is an integral part of Europe. The common challenges we face today have once again underscored the strategic value of our partnership with Europe. While maintaining our goal of full membership in the European Union, we expect the Union to overcome its issue of direction and remain faithful to the vision of its founding leaders. Next November, we will host the 31st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change here in Antalya. During our presidency of COP 31, we will prioritize policies that bridge the environmental agenda with the concerns of young people, such as the expansion of the Zero Waste Movement,” President Erdoğan said.
Among the guests attending the opening ceremony were President Kassym-Jomart K. Tokayev of Kazakhstan, Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani of Qatar, President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, President Ahmad Al-Sharaa of Syria, President Maia Sandu of Moldova, President Tufan Erhürman of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Prime Minister Duro Macut of Serbia, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze of Georgia, President Nechirvan Barzani of the Iraqi Kurdish Regional Government (IKRG).
