Physical Address
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The title of this piece is directly borrowed from the main theme of the 9th TRT World Forum, which was held this past weekend. The forum’s subtitle was “From the Old Order to New Realities.” I can say that, since its inception, the forum has steadily evolved into a global brand in its own field. Continuity is important for events of this nature.
Such forums also serve to support intergovernmental diplomacy. The host country’s political vision and its perspective on global issues come to the forefront of discussions. In this sense, they make a strategic contribution to shaping the global agenda. Put more clearly, they serve as platforms for the host nation to showcase its foreign policy vision.
At the TRT World Forum, which continued in Istanbul for two days, every topic discussed somehow circled back to Türkiye’s growing influence in both the global and regional equations. And it wasn’t only the Turkish speakers who said so. Many of the international relations experts who came from around the world also emphasized Türkiye’s expanding state capacity, its achievements in the defense industry and its increasing effectiveness in global diplomacy.
Before delving into the assessments concerning Türkiye, let me share some of the observations I drew from what I heard about the realities the world is currently going through.
A new architecture of power is taking shape in the world. The existing order can no longer produce solutions to new problems. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan once again underlined this truth in his opening address: “The current system, established by the victors of World War II, unfortunately does not align with today’s realities and requirements.”
The rules, norms and even value sets that humanity has produced have been rendered dysfunctional by the powerful. In this context, the genocide committed by Israel is being almost normalized by the major powers of today’s world.
There is a shift from multipolarity toward multi-centrality. The sharp, ideologically defined blocs are being replaced by more flexible and issue-based regional cooperation models.
Artificial intelligence has turned into a geopolitical power factor that determines the course of economic competition. Technological and data sovereignty have become directly linked to the independence of states. Since countries cannot achieve full technological self-sufficiency, they are being forced to take sides and align themselves within technological blocs.
National economies are increasingly focusing not on productivity but on resilience, on the capacity to withstand shocks. Economies are being confronted by protectionist barriers in global trade. Levels of indebtedness have risen in major powers. Populations have aged. The destructive consequences of artificial intelligence, particularly in terms of job losses, are beginning to emerge. The effects of climate change, compounded by the geopolitical tensions fueled by ongoing conflicts, are impacting national economies to varying degrees depending on their fragility.
Global migration waves are reshaping demographic structures. In this context, societal resilience is central to consolidating politics and ensuring continued political stability. Climate change is no longer merely an environmental problem; it is also a geopolitical and security issue. Digitalization is transforming identity and truth itself. Determining what is true is becoming increasingly difficult. In this regard, the reliability of channels that provide access to accurate information has become even more critical.
Within the global system, several key assessments also stood out concerning Türkiye’s position: Türkiye, with its diplomatic, military and normative power, is among the most important actors in the ongoing phase of global reconstruction. Türkiye’s expanding technological base, resilient economy and independent foreign policy vision enable it not only to maintain regional stability but also to “play a constructive role” in shaping the very understanding of global security.
Over the past two decades, Türkiye has become an active actor not just regionally but globally. With its defense industry, energy initiatives, transport corridors and diplomatic mediation capacity, it fully embodies the concept of a “new middle power.”
In today’s complex security environment, Türkiye’s defense industry has become not merely a national capability but also a central instrument of diplomacy. Its development not only meets security needs but also serves as a high-value lever for generating qualified human capital and strengthening the economy.
Türkiye, through the values it defends, its critique of global injustice and ultimately its active foreign policy – including mediation, facilitation and stability-oriented initiatives – pursues these efforts as part of an attempt to bring a moral depth to international politics.
