ANTALYA — Afghanistan’s civil society activists, exiled political figures, and human rights advocates gathered in the Turkish city of Antalya on Monday for the fourth installment of the “Antalya Process,” a two-day conference aimed at evaluating the nearly four years of Taliban rule and exploring potential pathways for the country’s political future.
Organized by the Network of Afghanistan’s Civil and Democratic Forces, the forum provides a platform for dialogue among Afghans outside the country, amid widespread repression and the collapse of open civic life under Taliban rule.
According to a copy of the agenda shared with media, discussions will focus on key issues including the United Nations’ current engagement framework in Afghanistan, the stalled Doha peace process, and prospects for inclusive governance. The agenda also notes that the talks are intended to generate ideas for broader national dialogue in response to the country’s strategic, political, and social challenges.
Participants include civil society representatives, women’s rights activists, and human rights defenders — many of whom fled Afghanistan after the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021. Taliban have since imposed sweeping restrictions on women, shuttered independent organizations, and criminalized most forms of political dissent.
With no safe space for such discourse inside Afghanistan, conferences like Antalya have become critical arenas for Afghan stakeholders to shape discourse, coordinate advocacy, and maintain pressure on the international community to uphold human rights and inclusive governance.
