Istanbul: The International Strategic Communication Summit (Stratcom Summit) 2026 kicked off Friday in Istanbul, bringing together senior officials from 38 countries to discuss the war in the Middle East and broader challenges facing the international system.
According to Anadolu Agency, the two-day summit, organized by Trkiye's Communications Directorate, will feature attendance from Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, and National Intelligence Organization Director Ibrahim Kalin. Eleven ministers from 10 countries will be among more than 60 senior officials participating in the summit.
Under the theme 'Disruption in the International System: Crises, Narratives, and the Search for Order,' the summit will examine structural disruptions in the global system, resulting crises, and regional approaches to restoring international stability.
In his opening speech, Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz highlighted the rising global instability, wars, and disinformation reshaping international politics. He stressed the importance of strategic communication in governance, emphasizing that the post-World War II order is under growing strain. Yilmaz pointed to overlapping crises in security, economy, climate, and migration as permanent features of global politics.
Yilmaz identified tensions among Israel, the US, and Iran as significant threats to regional and global stability, citing humanitarian and economic consequences. He noted Trkiye's diplomatic efforts for an immediate ceasefire, led by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and criticized Israel's actions in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, and Syria. He urged stronger international opposition to violations of international law.
Yilmaz also warned of modern conflicts increasingly shaped by disinformation and AI-generated content, complicating access to reliable information. He emphasized Trkiye's diplomatic role and mediation efforts, stating that Ankara remains capable of engaging with both the East and the West. He concluded that strategic communication is essential for managing risks and called for cooperation among governments, media, academia, and civil society.
Burhanettin Duran remarked that the summit has become an 'international brand' attracting global attention. He noted that the summit addresses issues of trust in strategic communication and engages in comprehensive exchanges of ideas. Duran emphasized that in the current era, strategic communication, conflict zones, and crises cannot be considered separately, as information has evolved into a direct instrument of power and competition.
Duran highlighted that threats today enter the world through manipulation rather than traditional means, stressing that protecting truth is as crucial as protecting physical borders in the emerging security architecture.