Türkiye awaits ‘strong participation’ of partner countries at NATO summit
Serkan Demirtaş - ANKARA
Ankara is of the opinion that the upcoming NATO summit should observe “strong participation” from the partner countries, especially from the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative, given the deteriorated security environment impacting the alliance’s southern flank, Hürriyet Daily News has learned.
Türkiye will host the NATO leaders summit on July 7 and 8, at a time when serious debates regarding the future of the alliance are enduring and regional armed conflicts are escalating.
Among the topics discussed is which partner countries would be invited to Ankara in accordance with the summit agenda, which is expected to include the ongoing conflict between the U.S. and Iran in the Middle East.
NATO has partnerships with many countries in various formats, including the Indo-Pacific partners (Australia, Japan, Korea and New Zealand), which have been represented at NATO summits in recent years, but the actual discussions will focus particularly on the Gulf region, which has been largely affected by the war.
Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates are part of the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative, which was launched in 2004, with the objective of promoting security cooperation, while Oman and Saudi Arabia also participate in selected activities within the framework of the initiative.
According to diplomatic sources, Türkiye’s aim is to see strong participation from the partner countries at the summit, where recent developments in the Middle East and their security implications for NATO will be addressed.
Sources emphasized that the summit offers a critical venue for meaningful engagement and more robust institutional cooperation with these regional actors. However, formal invitations require unanimous consensus among allies in Brussels, a step expected to occur shortly before the event.
While some member states are reportedly concerned that the summit agenda might shift away from Europe, they are not expected to oppose the possible participation from the Gulf.
Will US and Iran seal the peace deal before the summit?
Another important factor regarding the summit is whether ongoing diplomatic efforts will lead to a permanent deal between the U.S. and Iran before the leaders of the 32 allies meet in Ankara.
Sources say the ideal and desired scenario is for the U.S. and Iran to reach an agreement, further reducing the likelihood of a renewed war in the region.
U.S. President Donald Trump has been harshly criticizing NATO allies and NATO institutionally for not backing the U.S. during the war with Iran and refusing to help the U.S. to secure the Strait of Hormuz. He accused NATO members of making a “foolish mistake.”
President Trump is more likely to repeat his criticisms of NATO in Ankara if peace talks with Iran fail and the Strait of Hormuz remains closed.
Trump had also threatened to withdraw troops from Europe while calling on European nations to increase their defense spending in line with recent decisions.
Many believe that the summit in Ankara will constitute an important turning point for the future of the alliance, which will bring about the Europeanization of NATO.
Türkiye also underlines that a strong European pillar within NATO will be important but it should not be based on exclusivity and protectionism as seen in different defense industry mechanisms created by the European Union.