Center for Gulf Studies and Global Policy Attends the “9th Istanbul Mediation Conference”

At the invitation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye, Center for Gulf Studies and Global Policy Director Prof. İsmail Numan Telci attended the 9th Istanbul Mediation Conference which was held on 23-24 Ocrober 2026. Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan delivered the opening address of the conference.

The conference took place at a time when conflicts in the international system are growing both in number and in complexity. Against this backdrop, participants discussed the theoretical foundations of mediation and its possibilities and limits in practice from several angles.

Mediation in Diplomacy and Türkiye’s Central Role

The sessions looked beyond traditional great-power diplomacy to the contributions that middle powers, regional actors and institutions such as diplomatic academies make to peace processes. Türkiye’s growing role in multilateral diplomacy and mediation was also discussed.

On the sidelines of the conference, Prof. Telci met with officials from leading international mediation organizations and with representatives of diplomatic and academic circles in the Gulf. He exchanged views on possible cooperation with Abdulaziz bin Mohammed Al-Horr, Director of the Diplomatic Institute of Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Humaid bin Ali Al-Maani, Head of the Diplomatic Academy of Oman’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and Prof. Abdullah Baabood of Waseda University.

Qatar and Oman have acted as facilitators in regional and global crises, which makes Gulf diplomacy a distinctive subject for the study of mediation. The meetings discussed approaching this experience from a comparative perspective, as well as current developments in the Gulf and opportunities for academic cooperation between institutions.