Leaders, ministers, diplomats and communication experts gathered in Istanbul for the International Strategic Communication Summit, STRATCOM 2026, where speakers focused on global instability, mediation diplomacy, digital transformation and the growing crisis of legitimacy in the international system.
Organized by Türkiye’s Communications Directorate, the summit brought together participants from several regions to discuss how strategic communication is reshaping diplomacy, governance and security. The first day featured six panels, while additional sessions were scheduled for the second day.
At a panel titled “A New Framework for the Global Order: A Strategic Communication Perspective,” speakers said the international system was being eroded by disinformation, declining trust and deepening geopolitical divisions.
Fuat Oktay, head of parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, said Türkiye was in a position to maintain dialogue with both East and West and could engage with nearly every conflict zone through what he described as trust-based diplomacy. He said transparency and openness should remain central to strategic communication.
Turkish Cyprus Foreign Minister Tahsin Ertugruloglu criticized the current global order over its handling of the Cyprus issue, saying the system shaped by the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council had failed to adopt a fair approach toward Turkish Cypriots.
Syria’s Information Minister Hamza al-Mustafa said Syria had faced extensive disinformation during the civil war and was now working to rebuild its media sector. He said Syrian society, particularly the diaspora, played a critical role in countering false narratives.
Bangladesh Information Minister Zahir Uddin Swapon said recent crises were affecting not only domestic politics but also global politics, citing developments in the Middle East and oil-related tensions as examples. Kazakhstan’s First Vice Minister of Culture and Information Kanat Iskakov also pointed to weakening trust among states, saying peace could not be achieved by force alone and required rules that function effectively.
Another panel, “Actors and Leader Diplomacy in the Mediation Process,” focused on the role of diplomacy, cultural ties and inclusive leadership in conflict resolution.
Sultan Raev, secretary-general of the International Organization of Turkic Culture, or TURKSOY, said strong cultural ties among Turkic states could help defuse crises before they escalate. Baroness Fiona Hodgson of the U.K. House of Lords underlined the importance of women’s participation in peace talks, saying their inclusion helps facilitate conflict resolution.
Egyptian Senator Rania Sedky warned that tensions in the Middle East could have repercussions far beyond the region. She praised mediation efforts by Egypt, Türkiye, Qatar and Pakistan, while cautioning that failure by the international community to assume responsibility could lead to wider instability.
Speakers at the “Transformation of Global Public Opinion in the Digital Communication Ecosystem” panel turned to the impact of digital platforms and artificial intelligence on public discourse.
Mehmet Daniş, head of Türkiye’s Radio and Television Supreme Council, or RTÜK, said algorithms were increasingly shaping public opinion and argued that digital media literacy should now be seen as a national security issue. Nationalist Movement Party lawmaker Kamil Aydın also stressed the importance of media literacy, saying the answer lay in proper use rather than restriction.
Ahmad Ismayilov, chairman of Azerbaijan’s Media Development Agency, said the transformation of global public opinion created not only risks but also new opportunities for states to engage wider audiences and shape their international image. Jordanian official Zaid Al-Nawaiseh, secretary-general of the Government Communication Ministry, warned that AI-driven disinformation had become a growing challenge as digital platforms gained influence over public opinion.
At another session titled “Crisis of Legitimacy and Trust: Perceptions of the International Order,” speakers addressed weakening institutional credibility and the need for accountability.
Oliver McTernan, director of Forward Thinking, called for reform of the United Nations, saying lasting peace would only be possible through justice and recognition of rights. Former U.S. Ambassador to Syria Robert Ford stressed the value of diplomacy and restraint following U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, and said open communication required listening carefully and engaging transparently.
Vincenzo Le Voci, founder of the Club of Venice, highlighted accountability and dialogue, while László Vasa, head of the Ludovika Turkish Language Research Center, pointed to the need for strategic autonomy and diversified transit routes, including the Middle Corridor. Cüneyt Yüksel, head of parliament’s Justice Committee, said the international system was facing a deep legitimacy crisis and warned that a system that failed to act would lose its credibility.
Jonathan Fowler, communications director at the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, accused Israel of spreading disinformation and said attacks on U.N. facilities and the deaths of colleagues in Gaza were undermining global norms. Qamar Cheema of the Sanober Institute said global power was shifting and that medium-sized countries such as Pakistan and Türkiye were trying to rebuild trust through alliances and strategic communication.
İsmet Fatih Cancar, an adviser to the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, said the “new normal” was forcing smaller actors into micro-alliances, pointing to instability in the Balkans and the erosion of rule-based norms. He described Türkiye as a key actor for regional stability.
Climate diplomacy also featured on the agenda, with speakers discussing energy transition, climate migration and the role of communication in climate action.
Abdulmenaf Turan, an adviser to the COP31 office, said the climate crisis could no longer be treated solely as an environmental issue and had become part of politics, security and justice. Nuran Yıldız of Ankara University said the climate crisis also had an emotional dimension, while University of Navarra academic Ramón Salaverría argued that climate change was as much a communication challenge as an environmental one.
Matthew Coghlan of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change called for faster climate action and said governments and the private sector needed to turn their commitments into concrete results. Van Nguyen of the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization said resilient food and agriculture systems depended on decision-grade science and better communication between experts, planners and policymakers.
