HRH Princess Rym Ali joins world leaders at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum for high-level engagements on cultural diplomacy and multilateral cooperation.
Antalya, Türkiye,17-19 April 2026
Princess Rym Ali, President of the Anna Lindh Foundation (ALF), is attending ADF2026 in Antalya, Türkiye from 17 to 19 April 2026. The prestigious Forum is organised by the Foreign Ministry of Türkiye under the auspices of His Excellency Recep Tayyıp Erdoğan, President of the Republic of Türkiye. In the last few years since its creation the forum has become an international platform for high-level government officials, diplomats, academics, influential stakeholders and think-tank representatives from across the world, discussing critical global issues, and political solutions to the challenges of our day.
The ADF2026 theme, “Mapping Tomorrow, Managing Uncertainties,” is a theme that responds to the ALF’s own concerns across the Euro-Mediterranean region, where different regional challenges and increased polarisation have made the search for common ground both more difficult and more necessary than ever. ALF’ President stated that “When you talk about cultural relations and cultural diplomacy, equality comes into play but also accountability.”
On 18 April, Princess Rym attended a session entitled “United for Peace in Palestine: Confronting Scholasticide, Protecting the Future,” convened under the auspices of H.E. First Lady Emine Erdoğan, addressing the systematic destruction of educational institutions and the international obligation to protect children’s right to education in Palestine.
On 18 April, Princess Rym attended a session entitled “United for Peace in Palestine: Confronting Scholasticide, Protecting the Future,” convened under the auspices of H.E. First Lady Emine Erdoğan, addressing the systematic destruction of educational institutions and the international obligation to protect children’s right to education in Palestine.
On 19 April, Princess Rym participated in a panel on “Cultural Diplomacy: Bridging Divides, Building Trust,” moderated by Brenda Radido of TRT World. The session brought together senior policymakers and academics to discuss whether cultural engagement can serve as a credible tool to rebuild trust when formal diplomatic channels face challenges.
It is a very concrete theme for the ALF. Indeed, in the last 20 years, the Foundation shas worked tirelessly across 43 Euro-Mediterranean member states, with policymakers, civil society, cultural actors, youth, and media to create space for genuine encounters rather than managed coexistence proving that people-to-people exchange and cultural relations are powerful and effective. As Princess Rym stated “Having cultural relations on an equal footing. That is something that we do at ALF, we engage into co-creation. We try to create bonds and alliances. The Foundation was created in fact to promote culture with a clear objective to practice a dialogue between cultures and peoples of the Euro-Mediterranean. This participation of civil society what really carries more relations that will make any economic transaction much more acceptable.”
On the sidelines of the Forum, The President and ALF Director, Josep Ferré had a high-level meeting with the Deputy Foreign Minister of Türkiye, Mehmet Kemal Bozay, in presence of the co-head of the Turkish Network Dr. Necdet Sağlam and Gürkan Akcaer. They discussed the role of youth and civil society within the Antalya Diplomacy Forum and Türkiye’s support for the work of the Foundation.
The President and the Executive Director also met extensively with the heads of the ALF National Network in Türkiye on the 19th of April, reinforcing ALF’s engagement with its member network on the ground and as a platform to build alliances between civil society and institutions. Princess Rym stated “The Antalya Diplomacy Forum provides a great platform for networking and raising awareness about the work of the ALF on intercultural dialogue with civil society at this critical time in the Euro Med region”.