Turkey Emerges as a New Global Peace Broker

Turkey’s Growing Role in Global Peace Diplomacy

As global conflicts increase and traditional diplomatic institutions lose influence, Turkey has emerged as one of the world’s notable new peace mediators.

According to an analysis by The Economist, countries including Turkey, Qatar, China, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates are becoming increasingly important players in international conflict resolution.

Over the past five years, Turkey has taken active diplomatic initiatives in several crises, from the Russia-Ukraine war to tensions in the Horn of Africa, gaining recognition as one of the new actors in global peace diplomacy.

A Different Era of Mediation

The analysis points out that traditional mediators such as the United Nations, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland have seen their influence and visibility decline in recent years.

At the same time, emerging diplomatic powers have expanded their roles by focusing on practical negotiations, regional stability, security cooperation, trade, and economic partnerships.

Turkey has increasingly positioned itself as a country capable of communicating with different sides during international crises.

Turkey’s Role in International Conflicts

The Economist highlights Turkey’s involvement in several diplomatic efforts, including the Russia-Ukraine war, Ethiopia-Somalia tensions, and disputes between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Ankara’s approach has been shaped by its geographical position and direct exposure to regional challenges such as migration movements, security threats, energy issues, and economic consequences caused by conflicts.

Turkey’s diplomatic efforts have focused on reducing tensions and creating dialogue channels between conflicting parties.

New Mediators Take a Larger Role

The analysis states that Turkey, China, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates participated as mediators in at least 20 of the 53 peace processes worldwide in 2025.

Unlike some Western mediation models that often emphasize democratic reforms, human rights frameworks, and power-sharing arrangements, these newer mediators have generally focused more on stability, economic cooperation, security, and maintaining communication between opposing sides.

China has worked to improve relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan, while Qatar has played an important intermediary role in issues including Hamas-Israel contacts, US-Taliban discussions, and US-Iran communication.

The Changing Role of the United Nations

The analysis also highlights the declining role of the United Nations in international conflict mediation.

UN peacekeeping forces have decreased significantly compared with previous years, and the organization’s ability to establish new peace missions has become more limited.

During the Syrian civil war, Turkey, Iran, and Russia negotiated several ceasefires without direct UN involvement. More recently, diplomatic efforts in conflicts such as Armenia-Azerbaijan, Cambodia-Thailand, and Congo-Rwanda have also shown the growing importance of different international actors.

Fewer Permanent Peace Agreements

The Economist notes that achieving long-term peace agreements has become increasingly difficult.

Between 1989 and 2013, around 3.9 percent of negotiation processes resulted in comprehensive peace agreements. Between 2014 and 2023, this figure dropped to approximately 2.1 percent.

While temporary ceasefires and short-term agreements have become more common, building lasting peace remains one of the biggest challenges facing the international community.

Turkey’s Expanding Diplomatic Influence

Turkey’s growing role in mediation reflects a broader shift in global diplomacy, where regional powers are taking on responsibilities once dominated by traditional international organizations.

With its strategic location, relationships with different regions, and experience in crisis diplomacy, Turkey is increasingly being viewed as an important bridge between competing sides in international conflicts.

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