International politics' pulse beats in Turkiye

By Behlul Cetinkaya

ANKARA (AA) - Turkiye has become a hub where the pulse of diplomacy beats in the world, hosting a three-way foreign ministers meeting with Russia and Ukraine at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, organizing the Istanbul Mediation Conference, and welcoming successive visiting leaders from across the globe.

The high-level tripartite meeting with Russia and Ukraine was held on Thursday on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF) in southern Turkiye to reach lasting peace. Nearly 400 local and foreign journalists came to the resort city to follow the meeting.

This was the first time the foreign ministers of Russia and Ukraine came together since the war began on Feb. 24, with the Turkish side at the meeting emphasizing the need to keep humanitarian corridors open.

The 8th Istanbul Mediation Conference, which was also launched in Antalya on the same day, received more than 200 participants, including leaders, politicians, diplomats, experts, academics, and students.

More than 3,000 people attended the forum, which was held on March 11-13 under the theme of "Recoding Diplomacy." Anadolu Agency was the global communication partner of the event, which gathered participants from 75 countries, including 17 heads of state, 80 ministers, and 39 representatives of international organizations.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made the opening speech and held 11 bilateral meetings, while Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu held 67.

The meeting between Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and Cavusoglu also made headlines, with both sides making positive statements afterwards.

On the last day of the forum, Erdogan and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met in Istanbul. They discussed issues on keeping mutual communication channels open, improving bilateral relations, increasing cooperation, and focusing on a positive agenda.

Since Russia launched its war on Ukraine, more than 2.8 million people have fled to other countries, according to UN estimates.

At least 596 civilians have also been killed and 1,067 injured in Ukraine, it said.

While the EU, US and others have imposed sanctions on Moscow, many companies and global brands have also suspended operations in Russia.

* Writing by Gozde Bayar