TRT World Forum 2026 Continues with Second-Day Sessions Shaping Global Dialogue

Closely followed by the international public opinion and establishing itself among Turkey's benchmark organizations, TRT World Forum 2026 continues at full speed at the Istanbul Congress Center. Bringing together academics, journalists, athletes, artists, politicians, and representatives of non-governmental organizations from all corners of the world, the forum continues to contribute significantly to global dialogue. Inaugurated with high participation and crucial opening speeches on its first day, the organization hosts critical sessions on international relations, diplomacy, crisis management, and the emerging world order on its second day.

On the first day of the organization, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Communications Director Burhanettin Duran, and TRT Director General Mehmed Zahid Sobacı took the podium to deliver vital messages to the international arena. In his opening address, President Erdoğan noted that TRT has consistently pursued its path for exactly 62 years without deviating from its line, emphasizing that such international platforms strengthen the ground for inter-country dialogue. Expressing his satisfaction with the successful organization of the forum—which has become one of Turkey's signature events—Erdoğan conveyed his congratulations and gratitude to the TRT management.

The central theme of this year's forum, "A Decentralized World: Who Leads When Rules Fail?", opened up the deadlocks of the global system and the functionality crisis of international institutions to thorough discussion. In his opening speech, TRT Director General Mehmet Zahid Sobacı emphasized that we are passing through a period where international law and global institutions have lost their functionality. Sobacı stated that the forum, realized this year with nearly 150 speakers from 43 countries and around 2,000 participants, examines the consequences of the shocks experienced in a world where rules maintain their existence on paper but lose their effect in practice.

Background of the Development

Launched by TRT for the first time in 2017, TRT World Forum has evolved over the years into a think tank and diplomacy platform whose global prestige is fully certified. Addressing the world's most urgent and complex problems comprehensively since its inception, the forum serves as an alternative dialogue and intellect pool during times when traditional diplomacy channels fall short. Approaching its 10th anniversary, this massive organization has made it a tradition to analyze the academic, political, and humanitarian dimensions of global issues by selecting themes that best reflect the spirit of the era.

Bringing numerous statesmen, international organization representatives, Nobel laureates, thinkers, and media members together in Istanbul from past to present, the forum also supports the intellectual foundation of Turkey's foreign policy vision and its pursuit of justice encapsulated in the motto "The World is Bigger than 5". This year, nearly 150 expert speakers from 43 different countries are discussing shifts in the global system, the relocation of power centers, and the risks brought by a multipolar world. The institutional capacity and scope of the organization have expanded exponentially every year, making Istanbul one of the hubs of global diplomacy and idea production.

As a product of TRT's 62-year deep-rooted broadcasting and public diplomacy accumulation, this forum transcends being merely a series of conferences, acting as a platform where the voice of the global conscience is elevated. Realized with the support of the Presidency's Directorate of Communications and TRT's organizational capability, TRT World Forum 2026 examines long-term strategic trends alongside current crises. The sessions equally represent not only West-centric perspectives but also the voices, demands, and quests for justice of the Global South.

Expert and Industry Insights

In-depth analyses conducted during the second-day sessions are closely monitored by international relations experts and industry representatives. The open session titled "Turkey: From a Regional Power to an Inter-Regional Actor", held with the participation of Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz, showcased Turkey's growing strategic weight in foreign policy and its multi-dimensional diplomacy capacity. Similarly, the session titled "Gaza at the Intersection of International Law and Humanitarian Collapse", featuring National Intelligence Organization (MIT) Head İbrahim Kalın as a speaker, shed light on one of the most fundamental points where the global conscience aches, revealing the bankruptcy of international law.

Industry representatives and academics state that the technical and political evaluations presented at the forum can be summarized under the following critical headings:

• The necessity of reforming global governance mechanisms stands out as the primary prerequisite for resolving existing crises.
• The dysfunctionality of international institutions (such as the UN Security Council) makes it imperative for regional actors to take the initiative.
• Turkey's mediating and stabilizing role as an inter-regional actor is of critical importance for global peace.
• As seen in the case of Gaza, the collapse of universal values and international law in the face of humanitarian crises makes the establishment of a new global justice architecture urgent.
• The cooperation of media, academia, and non-governmental organizations plays a vital role in combating disinformation and preserving the regime of truth.

Experts state that these findings expressed at the forum will guide the international relations literature and foreign policy-making processes in the upcoming period. Expert speakers from diverse geographies participating in the panels argue that developing new cooperation models in a decentralized world is inevitable; otherwise, global instability will deepen.

Economic and Social Implications

The decentralization of the global system and the loss of validity of rules directly affect international trade networks, supply chains, and global economic stability. Geopolitical risks addressed at TRT World Forum are also analyzed deeply in terms of financial markets and public balances. Topics such as wars, climate crises, migration waves, and energy security generate not only political but also immense economic costs, prompting countries to develop new economic blocks and resilience strategies.

On the social front, the deepening of global injustices and the impunity of humanitarian crises trigger social unrest and mass movements. Civil society representatives, academics, and opinion leaders gathering in Istanbul emphasize that solidarity networks must be strengthened to prevent this social erosion. The shaking of peoples' trust in global institutions increases the importance of public diplomacy tools and platforms like TRT World Forum twofold, as such platforms allow public anger and the perception of injustice to be channeled into a constructive dialogue ground.

In this period when economic integration and free trade are disrupted by protectionist policies, the key role of strategically positioned countries like Turkey in regional and inter-regional trade corridors becomes even more pronounced. The sessions held at the forum create a valuable ground for directly conveying Turkey's potential to be not only a political power but also a secure trade, energy, and logistics hub to international investors and stakeholders.

Future Projections and Outlook

Expectations for the upcoming period following TRT World Forum 2026 indicate that the need for diplomacy will increase in a multipolar world dominated by lawlessness. In terms of official processes and the diplomatic calendar, it is foreseen that the ideas and strategic reports produced here will be presented to international organizations and decision-makers. Future projections strengthen expectations that the international system should evolve into a more inclusive and fair structure, escaping unilateral hegemonic formations.

The steps to be taken in managing global risks in the coming years will largely rely on the collective wisdom built in such international think platforms. As TRT World Forum marches toward the next decade and beyond, it expands its mission and reinforces its claim to be an intellectual center shaping the world's future. The shared expectation of participants and institutions is the redefining of multilateralism to overcome the chaos brought by lawlessness and the implementation of a new human-centric global security and justice architecture.