President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Friday urged the sides in the Iran war to seize the two-week cease-fire as an opportunity to secure lasting peace.
"I believe the window of opportunity opened by the cease-fire should be used in the most effective way to establish lasting peace," Erdoğan said at the opening of the three-day Antalya Diplomacy Forum at the Mediterranean resort.
"No matter how deep the disagreements may be, we must not allow words to be replaced again by weapons," he said, adding that, "The shortcut to peace is constructive dialogue and diplomacy."
The foreign ministers of Türkiye, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Egypt were due to meet later on Friday on the sidelines of the forum, with the war and the blockade of the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz expected to dominate discussions.
Erdoğan was due to meet with Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif on the margins later Friday.
Türkiye, a vocal critic of Israel, has joined diplomatic efforts with Egypt and Pakistan to help secure a cease-fire in the conflict, while maintaining that the truce should also apply to Lebanon.
Erdoğan did not comment directly on the latest cease-fire reached between Israel and Lebanon but warned against attempts to derail talks.
"We must be prepared and vigilant against Israel's attempts to dynamite the negotiation process," he said.
Turning to the Strait of Hormuz, Erdoğan said access to the waterway must not be restricted.
"One side of Hormuz is Iran, while the other side is Oman. The right of Gulf countries to access open seas must not be restricted," he told the forum, calling for freedom of navigation "based on established rules" and for the strait to remain open to commercial vessels.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who spoke ahead of Erdoğan, warned against Israel’s expansionist policies. He was scheduled to meet his counterparts from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Egypt on the margins of the forum.
Erdoğan also addressed the Russia-Ukraine war, saying Türkiye is ready to host negotiations and a possible leaders' summit for a lasting peace in Eastern Europe.
On Syria, Erdoğan lauded Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s efforts to restore peace and stability in Syria following the ouster of Bashar Assad in December 2024 and reiterated Ankara’s support to Damascus and the Syrian people.
He also pointed to Türkiye’s engagement in Syria, the Balkans and the Caucasus, emphasizing efforts to promote stability, normalization and economic cooperation across neighboring regions.
Erdoğan said diplomacy must be understood not only as a tool for resolving conflicts but as a broader platform for shaping humanity’s shared future, describing the Antalya Diplomacy Forum as a hub for “global reason and conscience.”
He argued that today’s challenges reflect a deeper crisis of values and legitimacy in the international system, criticizing what he called selective justice and ineffective global institutions, particularly in the face of humanitarian crises such as Gaza.
Erdoğan urged reforms to make global governance more representative and credible, while emphasizing dialogue as the only viable path to lasting peace.
He also stressed the need to prevent escalation, support cease-fire efforts, safeguard freedom of navigation in key waterways like the Strait of Hormuz, and expand cooperation on energy and connectivity.
Erdoğan reiterated Türkiye’s position on the Eastern Mediterranean, calling for inclusive approaches and rejecting unilateral actions that exclude Turkish interests. He said improved relations with Greece should contribute to broader regional stability and respect for minority rights.
Türkiye will continue supporting peace and stability in Libya and across Africa, Erdoğan said, adding that Ankara backs diplomatic efforts to resolve conflicts such as the crisis in Sudan and supports Somalia’s development and security.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Türkiye will host a NATO leaders’ summit in Ankara later this year, reaffirming its role in Euro-Atlantic security, while reiterating its goal of EU membership.
He also announced that Antalya will host the U.N. COP31 climate conference, emphasizing youth-focused sustainability efforts, and concluded by calling for greater global solidarity to build a more just and inclusive international order.
More than 150 countries are represented at the event, including over 20 heads of state and government and nearly 15 deputy leaders. The forum also brings together more than 50 ministers, over 40 of them foreign ministers, as well as representatives from 75 international organizations.
In total, more than 460 high-level participants and nearly 5,000 attendees, including academics and students, are expected to take part.
Participants from Africa and Europe make up nearly half of the attending heads of state, while foreign ministers are expected to join mainly from Africa (around 40%), Europe (35%) and Asia (22%).
The forum features more than 40 panels and events, including leadership-level discussions addressing political, economic, environmental and technological challenges, with a particular focus on the evolving global landscape.
