Istanbul to host 9th Mediation Conference

The 9th Istanbul Mediation Conference will be held on Oct. 23-24 under the auspices of Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.

The conference will open with video messages from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, followed by opening remarks by Fidan, according to Turkish Foreign Ministry sources.

The conference will be held under the theme Partnerships and New Perspectives for Peace: Mediation in a Changing World.

It will bring together ministerial-level participants, secretaries-general and senior representatives of international organizations, including the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

Nearly 200 senior officials, experts, diplomats, academics and think tank representatives specializing in mediation and conflict resolution from various regions will also attend the event.

Through numerous reflective panels, the conference will connect political vision with practical experience and translate reflection into forward-looking ideas for cooperation.

Peaceful resolution of disputes

In his opening remarks, Fidan is expected to stress that, amid increasingly complex disputes and evolving conflict dynamics, it is more important than ever for the international community to create space for diplomacy and make effective use of mediation mechanisms.

He is also expected to highlight Türkiye’s efforts to promote the peaceful resolution of disputes, prevent further escalation and foster dialogue across a wide geographical area, including the Black Sea region, the South Caucasus, the Middle East, the Horn of Africa and the Balkans.

First held in 2012, the Istanbul Mediation Conferences serve as a high-level platform bringing together Turkish and international experts to exchange knowledge and experience in mediation, explore new approaches and assess the role of mediation in the evolving international peace and security landscape.