The International Strategic Communication Summit (Stratcom Summit) 2026 kicked off on 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.
Organised by Türkiye’s Communications Directorate, the two-day summit running from March 27 to 28 will be attended by Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and National Intelligence Organisation 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.
‘Humanity needs peace, and peace requires justice’
In his opening speech at the summit, Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz warned that rising global instability, wars and disinformation are reshaping international politics and highlighting the importance of strategic communication in governance.
He said the post-World War II order is under growing strain as shifting power balances outpace institutions, while overlapping crises in security, economy, climate and migration are becoming permanent features of global politics.
Yilmaz identified Israel-US war on Iran as a major threat to regional and global stability, citing humanitarian and economic fallout, and said Türkiye is pushing for an immediate ceasefire through diplomatic engagement led by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
He also criticised Israel’s actions in Gaza, the occupied West Bank, Lebanon and Syria and restrictions at Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem urging stronger international opposition to violations of international law.
Warning that modern conflicts are increasingly shaped by disinformation and AI-generated content, Yilmaz said information warfare and restricted media access are complicating access to reliable information.
He highlighted Türkiye’s diplomatic role, citing mediation efforts ranging from Russia-Ukraine to Africa, and said Ankara remains one of the few actors capable of engaging with both the East and the West.
“The world is bigger than five… Humanity needs peace, and peace requires justice,” Yilmaz said, adding: “We aim to be both just and strong.”
He concluded that strategic communication is now essential for managing risks and called for closer cooperation among governments, media, academia and civil society.
‘Threats come not with bullets but with manipulation’
Burhanettin Duran also said the summit, which has “become an international brand,” is attracting growing global attention.
“We will address issues of trust in the field of strategic communication alongside the global agenda and engage in a comprehensive exchange of ideas,” Duran said.
He said the summit is being held under the theme “Disruption in the International System: Crises, Narratives and the Search for Order,” reflecting the turbulent nature of the current global landscape.
“In the era we live in, strategic communication, conflict zones and crises can no longer be considered separately,” he said, adding that information has evolved from merely conveying facts into a direct instrument of power and competition.
“Today, threats enter our world not with tanks but with new trends, and they come not with bullets but with manipulation,” Duran said, stressing that protecting truth has become as critical as protecting physical borders in the emerging security architecture.
