By | Idial Edao Daya
This year’s Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF) was held under the theme “Reclaiming Diplomacy in a Fragmented World.”
The forum convened at a time when multilateralism, international law, and liberal values are in question. Various countries that once championed multilateralism are now prioritizing domestic issues over global cooperation. Some engage in multilateralism only when their interests are at stake. Such recklessness and selective engagement have weakened international institutions.
The conflicts in the Middle East, DRC, Sudan, and the Russia-Ukraine war have challenged the functioning of international law. Israel’s occupation of Palestinian land, U.S. military interventions into sovereign states, Russia’s annexation of Crimea, and the incompliance with ICJ and ICC orders have all demonstrated the ineffectiveness of international law.
The ineffectiveness of the UN and the growing global crises have eroded trust in international institutions.
Turkiye has repeatedly called for reform of the Security Council. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan emphasized the need for these reforms in his book titled “A Fairer World is Possible.” A phrase he frequently uses is “Dünya beşten büyüktür,” meaning “The world is bigger than five [SC members].”
Turkiye is a rising power with an expanding sphere of influence, striving to fill the gap. Recently, it took the world by surprise in overthrowing the Asad regime; however, the situation remains uncertain. At the Forum, President Erdoğan warned Israel and others not to test Turkiye’s patience. Gaza, Syria, and Ukraine were key agenda items. Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha were among the attendees.
Lavrov discussed Russia’s position on NATO. Russia wants NATO to be dissolved—as was promised to former Russian Presidents Mikhail Gorbachev and Boris Yeltsin—or at least not to expand further. Russia believes NATO’s expansion is the root cause of the Russia-Ukraine war. As long as the West sees Russia as a threat and employs an offensive policy, a security crisis will persist. The West is applying a similar approach in the Pacific to deter China.
The international order has been challenged. The world—particularly the Global South—has lost faith in the Western-centered system. The unipolar world order can no longer be governed by Cold War-era thinking. The West, especially the U.S., must come to terms with this new reality.
The global crisis can only be addressed through mutual recognition of interests and cooperation. Multilateralism and international law must prevail.
Idial Edao Daya is the Managing Editor for International Affairs at The Spotlight, focusing on global politics, economics, and political philosophy. He holds a BA in International Relations from Adnan Menderes University, Turkey, where he graduated as the top student, and an MA in Management and Organization from Marmara University. Currently, he is pursuing a second master’s degree in European Union Politics and International Relations at Kocaeli University.
