1 week Ago
ISTANBUL The fourth edition of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF2025) in Türkiye is witnessing a notable Arab presence. The participation of representatives from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen and Tunisia has been confirmed, with further announcements expected from other Arab countries. The forum is taking place from Friday to Sunday, with heads of state and government, foreign ministers and representatives of international organizations attending.
It is being held under the auspices of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the Belek Conference Center. President Erdogan is scheduled to deliver the forum’s opening speech, which this year is being held under the theme “Reclaiming Diplomacy in a Fragmented World.” Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani will attend the opening of the forum, where discussions will focus on topics such as climate change, counterterrorism, humanitarian aid, digital transformation, food security and artificial intelligence, according to Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari.
Sheikh Mohammed “will participate in the Joint Arab-Islamic Summit-Commissioned Ministerial Committee Meeting regarding developments in the Gaza Strip, which is set to take place on Friday,” the ministry added. The ministerial meeting “is scheduled to address the latest developments in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories, exploring ways to establish a permanent ceasefire and ensure the unhindered flow of humanitarian aid to those affected in the region,” it said. The Saudi Foreign Ministry confirmed that Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud had arrived in Antalya and is scheduled to participate in the expanded ministerial meeting of the Gaza Contact Group to discuss the situation in Gaza and related efforts.
According to a statement by the Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry, Foreign Minister Abdullah Al-Yahya—representing Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah—arrived in Antalya to take part in the forum. Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty traveled to Antalya on Thursday to attend the forum. According to an official statement, he is scheduled to participate in several sessions, hold bilateral meetings with counterparts and attend the Gaza Contact Group meeting.
On Monday, Turkish Justice and Development (AK) Party spokesperson Omer Celik announced that Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa would visit Türkiye on Friday to attend the forum. However, no official statement has been issued so far by Syrian authorities. Tunisian Foreign Minister Mohamed Ali Nafti is participating in the forum on behalf of President Kais Saied, according to a statement from Tunisia’s Foreign Ministry.
This edition of the forum, the statement noted, will address “a number of pressing regional and international issues, foremost among them the Palestinian cause in light of the genocide committed by the occupying entity (Israel), as well as the need to restore the role of international and regional organizations in resolving crises and strengthening cybersecurity amid the threats posed by artificial intelligence.” Nafti is expected to join a roundtable discussion titled “Rethinking the Middle East and North Africa at the Time of Shifting Realities” and hold bilateral talks on the forum’s sidelines. Ahmad Hariri, secretary-general of Lebanon’s Future Movement, arrived in Antalya on Thursday to participate in the forum, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency.
Yemen’s Foreign Ministry said Foreign Minister Shaya Mohsin Zindani arrived in Antalya to participate in the forum. He is scheduled to attend the main sessions focused on regional and international challenges and efforts to promote peace and stability and to hold meetings on the forum’s sidelines. The forum is taking place amid heightened geopolitical tensions in the Middle East driven by Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza since October 2023, continued Israeli violations of Lebanese and Syrian sovereignty and escalating tensions in the Red Sea involving the US and Yemen’s Houthi group.
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