On June 30, 2024, the Istanbul Initiative launched by NATO to cooperate with Middle Eastern countries, beginning with the Gulf states, marked twenty years since its inception at the NATO summit in Turkey in 2004. Four Gulf countries—Bahrain, the UAE, Qatar, and Kuwait—joined the initiative, while Saudi Arabia and Oman opted not to participate. Before evaluating the initiative’s impact on Gulf security, it is essential to define its nature, as it has sparked significant debate. Some describe it as a new NATO presence in the region, while others see it as a security pact. However, the reality is that the initiative is far removed from both descriptions.
Simply put, NATO began establishing several partnerships after the Cold War, during which it served as the Western tool for managing the conflict with the Soviet Union. These partnerships aimed to engage with countries in regions of vital interest to NATO members. The Middle East became a focus through two initiatives. The first, the Mediterranean Dialogue of 1994, involved cooperation with seven Mediterranean countries in various security fields through regular meetings at different levels. The goal was to begin with security as a foundation for political understandings. In contrast, the Istanbul Initiative of 2004 included six general areas with numerous subfields, targeting political consultation and coordination leading to security cooperation. The two initiatives followed complementary paths without conflict.
Having closely followed NATO and Gulf states’ positions and statements about their aspirations for the initiative, it is evident that the initiative reflected NATO’s vision of its potential contribution to Gulf security. NATO viewed its role as complementary to other initiatives without contradicting them. However, the Istanbul Initiative differed from other approaches, such as the EU’s strategy for the Gulf. NATO’s approach was not collective (all versus all) but rather followed a 32+1 framework, where benefits gained by one state did not automatically extend to others. Additionally, NATO does not provide security support through binding treaties; each state freely chooses areas of security cooperation with the alliance.
Lastly, NATO would not intervene to defend any of these countries in the event of an attack. This is due to Article 5 of NATO’s founding treaty in 1949, which clearly states that collective defense applies only to NATO member states, not partner countries like those in the Istanbul Initiative. Furthermore, the initiative does not qualify any of these countries for NATO membership, as the alliance is geographically limited to North America and Europe.
Source: Akhbar Al Khaleej
Dr. Ashraf Keshk, Senior Research Fellow