Global Reset theme marks opening of 9th TRT World Forum in Istanbul, spotlighting dialogue, justice
The TRT World Forum 2025, bringing together leaders from across the globe, kicked off in Istanbul on Friday under the theme Global Reset: From the Old Order to New Realities.
Held for the ninth time, the forum unites leading academics, politicians, civil society representatives, think-tank experts, bureaucrats, and journalists who shape the global agenda.
Over the course of two days, key global issues will be discussed, with 132 speakers from 35 countries participating.
Topics on the opening day include Building Strategic Autonomy: Türkiye and Global Defense Paradigms, Futures in Conflict: Conflict and Reconciliation in East Africa, Syria’s New Dawn: Charting a Course for Reconstruction and Stability, and From Victimhood to Resilience: The Path to Justice in Gaza.
The forum also features a moving artistic tribute by Norwegian artist Vibeke Harper, called 3,925 Lost Futures.
Earlier this month, Harper held a 68-hour memorial ritual in Oslo, where participants read the names of more than 18,000 children killed in Gaza.
At the TRT World Forum 2025, Harper is reimagining the work by inviting attendees to read and write the names of 3,925 young people aged 18-20, who were killed in Israeli attacks, placing each name on red paper on a memorial wall in silent remembrance.
Before delivering his address at the forum, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan toured the exhibition area and placed one of the red papers bearing the names of 3,925 young people killed by Israel onto the memorial wall.
TRT Director General Mehmet Zahid Sobaci said the forum hosts 132 speakers and over 1,500 participants from 35 countries, further noting that discussions will focus on global crises, transformations and solutions to shared challenges.
Highlighting the theme Global Reset: From the Old Order to New Realities, Sobaci said the post-World War II international system has become exhausted and unable to deliver justice or resolve crises, leading to a deep legitimacy and moral decline in global governance.
Sobaci noted that the world is searching for direction under such a system, stressing that the solution lies in presenting the vision and determination needed to rebuild it.
'While efforts were made to legitimize Israel’s two-year genocide in Gaza, Türkiye became the voice of justice'
Sobaci said President Erdogan’s global peace vision and diplomacy position Türkiye as a transformative actor, prioritizing dialogue, justice, and stability.
He stressed that Türkiye has become a key player shaping the future, defending its interests while advocating for a fairer world.
Citing Gaza and Syria, he said Türkiye has stood for justice, given voice to conscience, and played an active role in resolving crises and promoting stability: "Today, through its presence on the ground, Türkiye is making a strong contribution to establishing an inclusive order in Syria and curbing destabilizing actors. Not only in Gaza and Syria, but in humanitarian crises and conflicts near and far, Türkiye has acted as a mediator, replacing the old order with new realities.”
He also underscored Türkiye’s stance on Gaza, adding: "While efforts were made to legitimize Israel’s two-year genocide in Gaza, Türkiye became the voice of justice."
Sobaci said Türkiye will play a leading role in shaping a new global order, refusing to remain indifferent to human suffering, and asserted that Türkiye will determine its place in this emerging world not by boundaries set by others, but by its own resolve.
Türkiye’s influence in ‘global reset’
At the opening of the event, Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz said Türkiye is “a key power shaping the emerging global security architecture.”
He said Türkiye’s experience shows “how a nation can strengthen its sovereignty and resilience amid systemic uncertainties, not by retreating from the global order but by engaging with it on more equal, innovative and principled terms.”
Türkiye's Communications Director Burhanettin Duran also addressed the forum, saying Türkiye, with its diplomatic, military and normative strength, is among the leading actors in the global reset.
AA
