Türkiye pursues a "unique" foreign policy model that can be taken as an example for the world, Communications Director Fahrettin Altun said on Friday.
"In this period we live in, Türkiye has put forward a unique foreign policy model that will set an example for the whole world. The main feature that makes the Turkish foreign policy model possible today is strategic and conciliatory leadership," Altun told the 6th TRT World Forum in Istanbul.
Gathering under the theme of "Shaping the Future: Uncertainties, Realities and Opportunities", Altun said the forum will address global cooperation, leadership, diplomacy, food security, energy crisis, climate change, migration, Islamophobia, media and digitalization.
"The peace diplomacy we demonstrated in the Russia-Ukraine war that has lasted for about 10 months has shown that the whole world accepts Türkiye as a stabilizing and soothing power that contributes to global peace," Altun said.
Türkiye respects the principle of finding regional solutions to regional problems, he said, adding: "Because we see through bitter experience that external interventions in any region, from the Middle East to the Balkans, from the Black Sea to the Eastern Mediterranean, do not result in anything other than exacerbating crises and creating tragedies."
Another critical topic of Türkiye's foreign policy model is to prevent global polarization and prevent new cold wars, he stressed.
"Türkiye's vision for the global future also aims to keep the world away from conflicts and prevent a new cold war," Altun added.
He said Türkiye plays a "leading role" in solving humanitarian crises, global food, energy, and climate crises.
The TRT World Forum 2022, a two-day annual event, started in Istanbul on Friday.
The gathering, which is held under the theme of Mapping the Future: Uncertainties, Realities and Opportunities this year, brings together academics, journalists, intellectuals, politicians, and members of civil society from around the globe.
The forum's sixth edition started with an opening speech by Mehmet Zahid Sobacı, the director general of TRT, Türkiye's public broadcaster.
"For a better future, we should reveal the current situation with all its clarity, evaluate the potential of turning uncertainties into opportunities, and carry the future of the world to hope together," he said, explaining the theme of the forum.
Nearly 100 speakers and over 1,000 participants from nearly 40 countries are attending the forum, according to Sobacı.
The sessions and discussions featuring this year include Feeding the World: Ensuring Global Food Security in Times of Crisis, Conflict Resolution and Peace Building: Shaping the Future of Global Leadership, A World in Disarray: The Return of Geopolitics?, and Disarming Disinformation: Defending the Truth in the Digital Age.
The forum will also feature sessions on subjects Ukraine-Russian war, global migration, and the energy crisis.
The event is being held in person this year after it was held virtually the past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.