Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has criticized the global system’s inability to resolve regional conflicts, advocating for region-led solutions

 

Turkish Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan

Türkiye’s Diplomatic Pivot: Hakan Fidan Calls for Region-Led Conflict Resolution Amid Global System Failures

In a bold and pointed critique of the international order, Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has condemned the global system’s persistent failure to resolve regional conflicts, urging a shift toward region-led solutions that prioritize local agency and contextual understanding.

Speaking at a high-level diplomatic forum in Istanbul on September 10, 2025, Fidan emphasized that the current global governance architecture, dominated by distant bureaucracies and geopolitical interests, has repeatedly proven ineffective in delivering peace and stability to conflict-ridden regions.

Fidan’s remarks come at a time when Türkiye is increasingly positioning itself as a proactive mediator in regional disputes, particularly in the Balkans, the Caucasus, and the Middle East.

He argued that global institutions such as the United Nations and the European Union have become too slow, politicized, and disconnected from the realities on the ground.

“We are witnessing a paralysis in global governance,” Fidan stated. “Conflicts persist not because solutions are unavailable, but because the mechanisms to implement them are compromised by inertia and external agendas.”

The Foreign Minister highlighted Türkiye’s recent diplomatic engagements in the Balkans as a model for region-led peacebuilding.

Ankara has played a key role in facilitating dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo, and in supporting post-conflict reconstruction efforts in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Fidan stressed that regional actors possess the cultural proximity, historical insight, and strategic urgency necessary to broker sustainable solutions, qualities often lacking in global institutions.

Fidan’s critique also touched on the broader theme of multipolarity and the need for a more equitable international system.

He called for reforms that would empower regional organizations and coalitions to take the lead in conflict resolution, while global bodies should serve as facilitators rather than gatekeepers.

This vision aligns with Türkiye’s evolving foreign policy doctrine, which seeks to balance its NATO commitments with deeper ties to non-Western powers and regional blocs.

The speech has sparked considerable debate among diplomats and analysts, with some viewing it as a challenge to Western dominance in global affairs, while others interpret it as a pragmatic call for decentralization and efficiency.

Türkiye’s growing influence in regional diplomacy, coupled with its strategic location and historical legacy, lends weight to Fidan’s argument that peace is best pursued by those closest to the conflict.

As the world contends with overlapping crises, from Ukraine to Sudan, from Gaza to Myanmar, Fidan’s call for region-led solutions resonates as both a critique and a roadmap.

It reflects a shifting paradigm in international relations, where regional powers are no longer content to be passive recipients of global decisions but are asserting their right to shape outcomes that affect their futures.

In this emerging order, Türkiye seeks not only to be heard but to lead.