Ankara NATO summit reveals push for stronger Gulf ties

On the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara on July 7-8, NATO foreign ministers and top Gulf officials held a special session to discuss the developments in the Gulf, maritime security risks in the Strait of Hormuz, and ways to strengthen cooperation between the alliance and the Gulf Cooperation Council. The meeting was attended by officials from the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative partner countries: Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and the UAE.

Discussions between GCC and NATO officials focused on three main issues. First, the security of the Strait of Hormuz, as the UK and France proposed for a multinational maritime mission for Hormuz that could serve as a framework for NATO-GCC coordination. Second, defense-industrial collaboration, given that Kuwait and Bahrain remained under Iranian attacks even during the NATO Summit. Third, institutional relations with NATO officials proposed for stronger cooperation within the NATO-ICI framework. During the session, Qatar’s delegation announced that NATO and Qatar had agreed on a new partnership program and were close to establishing a NATO-sponsored regional center for peace support operations in Qatar. In the Gulf, Kuwait has hosted the NATO-ICI Regional Center since 2017.

The ICI was launched in 2004, but has yet to realize its full potential as a framework for NATO-GCC cooperation. However, in recent years it regained its significance particularly due to the immediate security challenge posed by the war with Iran. Thus, the driving force behind the special meeting between NATO and GCC officials at the Ankara summit was Iran’s attacks against GCC states since Feb. 28 and the disruptions to maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. The war has elevated Hormuz into a new strategic frontier for NATO, while positioning the GCC states as the alliance's key regional partners. 

As a result, the Strait of Hormuz appeared on NATO’s final declaration for the first time. In the alliance’s final communique, members reiterated that “Iran must never have a nuclear weapon and call on Iran to fully respect freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.” They also called ICI member states to cooperate with NATO for the future of Hormuz.

Even before the summit, NATO officials repeatedly emphasized that European and Gulf security are inextricably linked. They argued that NATO is no longer concerned solely with the defense of allied territory, but can also legitimately respond to developments beyond its borders when they have direct implications for European security, as is the case with the Strait of Hormuz.

The Ankara summit, and the final declaration’s inclusion of the Strait of Hormuz as one of the NATO’s strategic areas of concern, marks the evolution of the alliance’s Gulf strategy from mere engagement to a functional security cooperation with the GCC states, with maritime security in the strait being the key area of focus.

Dr. Sinem Cengiz

With this understanding, during the session with the Gulf officials, France and the UK proposed the establishment of a multinational maritime coalition to guarantee safe passage through the strait once tensions ease or the conflict is resolved. However, given Iran’s continued opposition, the proposal is unlikely to materialize. Yet the proposal signaled NATO’s willingness, among some member states, to play a greater role in maritime security in cooperation with Gulf partners. 

Although it might not be possible to argue for a “NATOization” of Gulf security, it is possible to speak of an emerging “functional” security cooperation between the alliance and GCC states. The Ankara summit, and the final declaration’s inclusion of the Strait of Hormuz as one of the NATO’s strategic areas of concern, marks the evolution of the alliance’s Gulf strategy from mere engagement to a functional security cooperation with the GCC states, with maritime security in the strait being the key area of focus. Maritime security is already an area of expertise for NATO, which makes it a key actor from the GCC perspective.

However, this does not transform NATO into the Gulf’s primary security guarantor that promises to establish a permanent Gulf command in the future. Rather, it reflects NATO’s gradually increasing role as a “functional” security actor, whose practical role is concentrated on a limited area: capacity-building and intelligence-sharing in maritime security, without altering the US-led security framework in the Gulf security architecture. This functional role itself goes beyond the conventional NATO-ICI dialogue, turning into an institutional cooperation that brings the Gulf into NATO’s broader southern-neighborhood agenda. 

When referring to NATO-GCC cooperation, NATO officials often highlight the Libya case, which they regard as an example of productive cooperation. They seek to establish a similar model of collaboration in the context of the Strait of Hormuz.

However, although NATO’s evolving functional role is driven by strong strategic motivations, some factors will continue to influence this role. These include Iranian perceptions of NATO expansion, internal divisions among alliance members, and divergent priorities among GCC members. Additionally, the structure of NATO-ICI cooperation is based on a bilateral framework rather than a partnership between NATO and the GCC capable of pursuing a collective vision.

Perhaps, the joining of Saudi Arabia and Oman as official partners of the ICI may change the structure of the partnership as both states are critical actors for maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz and regional diplomacy. For instance, while the NATO summit was being held, the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and Oman held talks in Muscat to discuss maritime security in Hormuz amid renewed tensions between Iran and the US. On July 3, the UK and France announced that Oman had agreed to work with both countries to ensure the Gulf nation’s waters are safe for navigation.

Thus, the Ankara summit marked a significant moment in NATO-Gulf relations. The participation of senior Gulf officials, inclusion of the Strait of Hormuz in the final communique, and proposals by alliance members to strengthen maritime security in the Gulf collectively demonstrate the growing integration of the Gulf dimension into NATO’s broader security vision.

• Dr. Sinem Cengiz is a Turkish political analyst who specializes in Turkiye’s relations with the Middle East. X: @SinemCngz