Antalya to see high turnout in upcoming international meetings: FM

Turkey is expected to see a high turnout in the upcoming Southeast European foreign ministers' summit and Antalya Diplomacy Forum, the country's foreign minister said on June 16. 

Addressing a news conference in Turkey's Mediterranean province of Antalya, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu that this is "an indicator of trust towards our country."

Çavuşoğlu said eight heads of state and nine foreign ministers will be participating in the South East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) Summit.

The Antalya Diplomacy Forum will host 12 heads of state, 43 foreign ministers, four former heads of state, representatives of international organizations, intellectuals, and academics.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell will also be joining the meetings, he added.

Çavuşoğlu went on to say that they will discuss recent developments at the SEECP Summit scheduled for June 17 in Antalya.

"We will talk about the economy and development targets of the next 10 years for our region," he said, adding that a strategy document for 2030 will also be discussed.

The foreign minister said the Antalya Diplomacy Forum is the first of its kind as it specifically focuses on diplomacy.

"We want every issue to be discussed in an innovative and creative way. We want a liberal discussion platform which can reflect different perspectives."

"Even if the majority of the participants are official representatives, we don't expect them to have official talks," he added.

The forum was postponed last year due to the pandemic. This year it will be held "in full compliance with coronavirus measures."

Çavuşoğlu recalled that Antalya has hosted many international events, including the Group of 20 summit and NATO Foreign Ministers meeting.