ANTALYA, Turkey — Turkey gathered leaders and senior officials from 150 countries at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum over the weekend, using the summit to press mediation efforts around the Iran war and rally support for trade and energy routes that bypass the Strait of Hormuz.
The show of middle-power coordination underscored Ankara’s bid to expand its diplomatic reach as supply-chain disruptions ripple from the Middle East. Delegations from the Middle East, Central Asia, Europe, South America and beyond held a dense round of talks aimed at joint responses to political, economic and security shocks.
Participants included representatives from Egypt, Syria, Pakistan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine and a delegation from Iran, among others, in a series of bilateral meetings and broader debates.
Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani joined Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for a trilateral meeting on developments in the Iran war, signaling the urgency of regional diplomacy.
Framing the stakes, Erdoğan said international institutions are “increasingly unable to respond to contemporary challenges,” adding, “Diplomacy is no longer merely a realm where conflicts and interests are discussed. It is also a platform where the future of humanity is determined.”
Alternatives to Hormuz take center stage
Another central focus was fast-tracking alternatives to the Strait of Hormuz. Multiple countries argued that the Trans‑Caspian International Transport Route—widely known as the Middle Corridor—has become a strategic Asia–Europe pathway amid disruptions in the Middle East.
The Middle Corridor links China and Southeast Asia by rail and sea across Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Georgia to Turkey and onward to Europe. Kubanychbek Omuraliev, Secretary‑General of the Organisation of Turkic States, said the corridor is becoming more efficient, safer, shorter and cheaper as an option to routes affected by conflict.
Azerbaijan’s role as a key transit hub drew emphasis following its peace with Armenia. Senior Azerbaijani official Hikmet Hajiyev said recent shocks to global logistics highlight the corridor’s importance, noting Baku is revisiting a “Four Seas” concept that connects the Caspian, Black, Mediterranean and Adriatic seas. He said Azerbaijan is pursuing an inclusive approach that considers Armenia as a transit country and is working with European partners, the United States and Armenia on links toward Nakhchivan.
Officials also highlighted a middle link in the South Caucasus known as the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), described as a new energy and logistics transit connection, brokered by Washington after the Armenia–Azerbaijan peace deal, to connect mainland Azerbaijan with its Nakhchivan exclave via southern Armenia. Armenia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Vahan Kostanyan said the project is moving into the implementation phase with U.S. partners, with feasibility studies under way.
Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said his country aims to function as a bridge between Europe and Asia and a transit hub for energy connectivity, especially as traditional trade routes face renewed strain.
In a notable signal of shifting regional calculations, Syria’s President Ahmed al‑Sharaa said Damascus wants to position Syria as an alternative route for energy and goods, leveraging its Mediterranean access. He said Syria has an agreement with Iraq for Iraqi oil exports to move through Syrian ports and expressed interest in joining a “Four Seas” energy project. Al‑Sharaa added that Syria and Turkey are planning regional connectivity projects, and he outlined prospective economic cooperation with Ukraine on agric…
Calls for restraint and reform
The forum also featured debate over global governance and the role of mid-sized states. Kazakhstan’s President Kassym‑Jomart Tokayev urged “strategic restraint” from global leaders and called for reforming the United Nations, arguing the Security Council has become an impediment to change and warning of the UN’s marginalization in conflict mediation.
While momentum gathered for the Middle Corridor and related links, it remains unclear which projects will move first and on what timelines. Officials signaled further feasibility work and coordination in the South Caucasus and wider region. Developments in and around the Strait of Hormuz—and any diplomatic movement on the Iran war—will shape how quickly states push new corridors and energy connections from Central Asia through the South Caucasus to the Mediterranean.
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