The International Strategic Communication Summit (Stratcom Summit 2026) convened in Istanbul this weekend, bringing together policymakers, academics, and media professionals to discuss the future of global governance and the growing role of narratives in international affairs. The event, organized by the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye Directorate of Communications, was held under the theme ‘Disruption in the International System: Crises, Narratives, and the Search for Order’.
In a video message to participants, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan described the current international system as facing a ‘deep legitimacy crisis’, arguing that institutions established after the Second World War are increasingly ineffective in addressing today’s conflicts and humanitarian challenges. He highlighted ongoing crises—particularly in Gaza—and stressed the urgency of restoring peace, stability, and justice.
Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz echoed these concerns, emphasizing that strategic communication has become a core element of national security. He argued that strengthening societal resilience and countering disinformation are now essential to maintaining internal stability, especially amid what he described as an era of interconnected global and regional crises.
Opening the summit, Head of Communications Burhanettin Duran said the international system has moved beyond gradual decline and entered a period of structural uncertainty. Citing world-systems theorist Immanuel Wallerstein, he suggested that the global order is undergoing a fundamental transformation, with its future contours still unclear.
In his speech, Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan framed the current moment as a ‘systemic rupture’ rather than a temporary phase of instability. According to Fidan, the global order has lost its ‘moral compass, strategic coherence, and ability to produce legitimacy’, rendering existing governance structures ‘dysfunctional, paralysed, and unsustainable’.
‘Fidan also placed significant emphasis on the role of information in modern conflict, arguing that “the battlefield is not only physical, but also informational”’
Fidan argued that this erosion had been building for years and pointed to Türkiye’s long-standing calls for reform of international institutions as an early warning that went largely unheeded. He suggested that a transition towards a ‘polycentric system’ is underway, raising unresolved questions about future centres of power, control over emerging technologies, and the security of global trade and energy routes.
Turning to regional security, Fidan warned that escalating tensions in the Middle East risk triggering broader conflict. Calling for restraint, he said Türkiye is actively engaged in diplomatic efforts with regional partners—including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates—to push for de-escalation and negotiations.
Fidan also placed significant emphasis on the role of information in modern conflict, arguing that ‘the battlefield is not only physical, but also informational’.
Beyond geopolitics, discussions at the summit focused heavily on the impact of digital transformation. Speakers highlighted how rapid technological change has amplified both the speed and scale of information flows, while also enabling the spread of disinformation. Fidan warned that content production has become a ‘strategic frontier’, where narratives can shape political outcomes as much as material developments on the ground.
The two-day event concluded with the adoption of a ‘Goodwill Declaration’, presented by Burhanettin Duran. The document frames communication as a central pillar of national and global security and calls for stronger resilience against manipulation in the digital sphere. It also advocates for greater transparency in algorithms and warns against the use of emerging technologies to make disinformation more difficult to detect.
The declaration acknowledges that the international order is undergoing ‘profound fragmentation’ and stresses the need for reform rather than collapse. It calls for a ‘truth-based communication order’ involving states, international organizations, media, and technology companies, while rejecting what it describes as double standards and the erosion of norms under the principle that ‘might makes right’.
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