Over the past decades, Türkiye has expanded its public diplomacy efforts beyond traditional communication, positioning a wide range of institutions and nonstate actors as key tools in shaping its international image.
Institutions such as the Yunus Emre Institute (YEE), the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB), the Turkish Maarif Foundation, the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT) and Anadolu Agency (AA) are cited as leading contributors to Türkiye’s public diplomacy architecture.
AA operates in 144 countries and publishes in 13 languages, making it one of the world’s largest international news agencies. TRT, meanwhile, conducts multilingual broadcasting tailored to regional audiences through channels such as TRT World, TRT Arabi, TRT Türk and TRT Avaz, officials say. TRT has also expanded its cultural outreach through its digital streaming platform “tabii,” which distributes Turkish television series globally.
Speaking on Jan. 20, 2026, Presidential Communications Director Burhanettin Duran said public diplomacy has become increasingly critical in an era where communication is used as a strategic weapon. In a social media post, Duran said Türkiye was building secure and effective communication ecosystems under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, while actively combating disinformation.
Another cornerstone of Türkiye’s public diplomacy is the Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF), held annually since 2021. The fourth forum took place in April 2025 under the theme “Reclaiming Diplomacy in a Fragmented World,” highlighting concerns over global polarization, inequality, violence against civilians and declining trust in international institutions.
The next edition, scheduled for April 17-19, 2026, will focus on “Designing the Future: Managing Uncertainty,” continuing Türkiye’s efforts to position itself as a hub for global diplomatic engagement.
Public diplomacy initially emerged as a government-driven communication process, but advances in digital technology and global media have diversified its actors. Universities, opinion leaders, media organizations, international institutions, private companies and individual citizens are now considered central to public diplomacy.
Türkiye has intensified its use of humanitarian diplomacy to position itself as a global peace broker, delivering not only humanitarian and development assistance but also acting on moral and ethical principles across the world during crises.
Erdoğan has framed the country’s foreign policy around global justice and reform of the international system, often using the slogan “The world is bigger than five,” underlining that humanitarian diplomacy forms a core element of this vision.
During the Syrian civil war, Ankara became the world’s largest host of refugees, sheltering millions of Syrians and still continues to extend humanitarian and mediation efforts across regions, including Gaza, Somalia, Sudan and Libya, presenting itself as a global advocate for civilians affected by war and crisis.
The Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) has launched two development projects in Mozambique and Djibouti aimed at supporting vulnerable groups, strengthening local production capacity and promoting sustainable economic growth. It aims to support women who are victims of physical and sexual violence and reintegrate them into social and economic life.
As part of the initiative, a production kitchen has been established to contribute to the women’s rehabilitation process while enabling them to generate a regular income.
In a separate project in Djibouti, TIKA supports the development of the fisheries sector by providing infrastructure and equipment for fishing boat production and establishing a dedicated boat manufacturing workshop. The agency supplies equipment and materials.
TIKA also completed the construction of a flood-resilient settlement for vulnerable river island communities in northern Bangladesh, delivering a long-term solution to recurring displacement caused by flooding and riverbank erosion along the Brahmaputra River.
The agency opened a newly constructed school building in northern Afghanistan as part of its ongoing efforts to strengthen education, employment and local production through development projects. In December, the 24th "Kindness Train,” carrying 1,300 tons of emergency relief supplies for earthquake survivors, including 28,000 food parcels, 560 tons of food supplies, 550 tons of flour and 14,000 blankets, was sent.
Türkiye’s rail-based humanitarian deliveries to Afghanistan over the past three years have reached a cumulative 11,768 tons.
On the other hand, Türkiye has always called for an end to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and Sudan, reiterating its continuous support to the countries and people suffering there.
Following the Turkish Red Crescent (Kızılay) dispatching its 19th “Goodness Ship,” carrying nearly 1,300 tons of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip from the southern Mersin Port in December, most recently, the 20th “Goodness Ship” arrived in Egypt’s al-Arish port on Sunday, carrying 1,400 tons of humanitarian aid for Palestinians in Gaza.
The ship carried food, blankets, tents, winter clothes and hygiene kits among other aid materials, for Palestinians who struggle to survive in the harsh winter in the Palestinian enclave, almost razed to the ground by Israel’s genocidal attacks since 2023.
The 6th humanitarian “Goodness Ship” was also sent to Sudan, delivering 2,600 tons of aid as part of ongoing efforts to support civilians affected by the country’s ongoing civil war.
Last week, TIKA and UNICEF signed a cooperation protocol on Thursday aimed at improving the living conditions of children and young people in Cameroon.
Moreover, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Türkiye also provided aid all across the globe to 131 countries affected by the pandemic including Germany, China, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Russia, Norway, Nigeria, Mexico and Somalia, in coordination with the Health Ministry, the National Defense Ministry, the Interior Ministry, the Foreign Ministry, TIKA, Kızılay and nongovernmental groups (NGOs), in-kind aid.
The assistance included donations of medical supplies and equipment such as protective gear, diagnostic kits, medicines and ventilators.
Over the past few years, issues regarding securing justice and representation within the current international system have become unsustainable. Erdoğan’s "The world is bigger than five" approach represented not only a political stance but also a humanitarian and ethical call for reform.
Türkiye has been a staunch critic of Israel, with which it was about to normalize relations before the new round of the Palestine-Israel conflict began in 2023. The Gaza conflict remained a central theme in several meetings.
Before and after the cease-fire plan, which took effect on Oct. 10, 2025, Türkiye played a key role in ending the devastating suffering in Gaza and bringing peace and stability to the Middle East. Erdoğan, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalın and other Turkish political figures urged to make constructive steps to revive Gaza and end the Israeli aggression since the beginning of the conflict.
Recently, U.S. Ambassador to Türkiye and Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack commented at the Jerusalem Post’s Washington conference on Türkiye's military capacity and the channels of dialogue with the Palestinian group Hamas, noting that Türkiye should be included in an international stabilization force for Gaza.
A U.S official said earlier in January that Türkiye has played a very integral role in reaching the cease-fire in Gaza, while U.S President Donald Trump's plan for the Gaza Strip transitions into the second phase.
Türkiye has also been a central diplomatic figure between Kyiv and Moscow since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war.
On March 10, 2022, just days after matters escalated, Ankara successfully hosted the foreign ministers of Russia and Ukraine at the ADF, marking the highest-level meeting since the war’s outbreak.
Furthering its mediation efforts, Türkiye facilitated another crucial gathering of Russian and Ukrainian negotiation teams in Istanbul from March 28 to 30, 2022.
Ankara’s most notable diplomatic triumph was brokering the Black Sea Grain Initiative alongside the U.N. on July 22, 2022. This agreement, aimed at alleviating global food security threats triggered by the war, garnered widespread international acclaim and resulted in establishing a Joint Coordination Center in Istanbul.
Erdoğan has maintained open communication channels with Moscow and Kyiv. With his landmark visit to Lviv on Aug. 18, 2022, Erdoğan became the only NATO leader to have visited both nations since hostilities erupted, reflecting Türkiye’s unique position.
Furthermore, Türkiye successfully facilitated a significant prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine on Sept. 22, 2022.
Türkiye significantly influenced the decadeslong Azerbaijan-Armenia dispute over Karabakh. In September 2023, Azerbaijan successfully regained control of Karabakh through a swift 44-day military campaign triggered by Armenian provocations and attacks.
Türkiye played a critical supporting role throughout the conflict, offering extensive defense industry cooperation, technology transfers, and strategic diplomatic support that contributed significantly to Azerbaijan’s military success and subsequent peace efforts.
Türkiye with its strong commitment to preventive diplomacy and mediation, worked to resolve conflicts peacefully across a wide range of geography including reconciliation in Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine and Kyrgyzstan, the establishment of the trilateral cooperation mechanism with Afghanistan and Pakistan and the launch of the “Heart of Asia - Istanbul Process” based on the principle of regional ownership, the establishment of trilateral consultation mechanisms between Bosnia-Herzegovina-Croatia-Türkiye and Bosnia-Herzegovina-Serbia-Türkiye, and the Ankara Declaration between Ethiopia and Somalia, as the Foreign Ministry stated.
Türkiye’s climate policies, emissions-reduction targets, and green transition programs serve as a global example.
Türkiye secured the hosting and presidency of COP31, with Australia to lead negotiations at the summit, in a win-win solution following negotiations of the impasse between the two countries led by Environment, Urban Planning and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) COP30 conference, held last year in Brazil.
“More than 80,000 people from 196 countries will be here, and we will show them Türkiye’s power to hold such summits and our hospitality,” Kurum said to reporters during the Antalya EXPO Fairgrounds earlier in January.
The 31st Conference of the Parties is scheduled to take place on Nov. 9-20, 2026, primarily in Antalya, with a leaders’ summit in Istanbul.
The Zero Waste Project, one of Türkiye’s most prominent international initiatives in recent years, is positioned as a cornerstone of the COP31 process. The initiative promotes a comprehensive approach focused on resource efficiency, circular economy principles, waste reduction and sustainable production and consumption models.
As part of COP31 preparations, the Zero Waste Foundation is implementing a comprehensive process to define the conference’s sustainability standards. The “Sustainable COP31 Framework” developed by the foundation aims to reduce the event’s carbon footprint, optimize resource use and make environmental performance measurable for all stakeholders.
Designed in line with U.N. sustainable event standards, the framework includes zero waste management protocols, carbon reduction and offset strategies, sustainable logistics and transportation planning, environmental performance criteria for event venues, and stakeholder engagement and transparency mechanisms. The goal is to make COP31 a global model for sustainable mega-events.
The zero waste vision was launched under the leadership of first lady Emine Erdoğan, founder of the Zero Waste Project and honorary president of the Zero Waste Foundation.
Moreover, recently, the High Seas Treaty, considered a landmark global agreement to protect marine biodiversity in international waters, entered into force on Jan. 17, after receiving the required 60 ratifications, marking a major milestone in ocean conservation.
The agreement, formally known as the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), was adopted by the U.N. in 2023. It establishes a legal framework for creating protected areas on the high seas and requires environmental impact assessments for activities that could harm fragile marine ecosystems.
Using television series, cuisine and heritage sites, Türkiye has increased cultural outreach across the world to strengthen its global image and tourism appeal.
Gastrodiplomacy, as a soft-power strategy, uses national cuisine to connect with foreign publics, creating lasting cultural ties and serving as a strategic tool to support economic relations.
Recently, the traditional Turkish dessert “Antakya Künefe,” which earned the No. 1 spot on the World’s 100 Best Desserts list by TasteAtlas, stands out for being prepared with a cheese that is protected by a geographical indication.
Following the recent registration of Hatay’s "kaytaz böreği" and Gaziantep baklava, Türkiye’s EU-recognized GI count reached 40. Authorities aim to raise that figure to 45 by the end of this year and 60 next year.
Over the past two decades, Turkish series have built a strong audience base across a vast geography stretching from the Middle East to the Balkans, and from Latin America to South Asia.
One of the earliest and most symbolic examples of this shift was the hit television series “Magnificent Century,” which depicted life inside the Ottoman palace and sparked widespread curiosity across the world. With “Resurrection: Ertuğrul,” an epic drama that emphasized themes of justice, loyalty and sacrifice, the series gained a strong following from Pakistan to Indonesia and across Central Asia and the Gulf, particularly resonating in Muslim-majority societies.
Television productions have also reshaped domestic tourism. Series such as “Uzak Şehir” “Hercai” and “Sıla” transformed the southeastern city of Mardin into popular destinations, with filming locations becoming symbolic stops for visitors.
Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said last month that Türkiye ranks first globally in annual television episode production and is among the world’s top three TV exporters. He noted that the Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency operates in nearly 200 countries, with the GoTürkiye platform reaching more than 21 million followers worldwide.
On the other hand, cultural diplomacy has extended beyond television and cuisine. Göbeklitepe, the 12,000-year-old UNESCO World Heritage site often described as the “zero point of history,” has inspired contemporary artists abroad and drawn renewed attention following recent archaeological discoveries, including a rare human statue believed to have been placed as a votive offering.
