Ankara: NATO is reinforcing its defensive posture through a comprehensive 360-degree approach to counter rising threats from the Middle East, a senior official confirmed. Speaking to Anadolu on the sidelines of NATO's summit in Ankara, Javier Colomina, the alliance's special representative for the southern neighbourhood, stated that the security environment has become one of the most challenging in decades. "The war in the region and the security context in general is one of the most difficult ones that we've seen in the last decades," he said.
According to Anadolu Agency, the Iran war served as a test for NATO's readiness, where they successfully intercepted missiles launched by Tehran that were heading toward Turkish territory. This, Colomina noted, demonstrates that the alliance has "the right posture." The 360-degree approach requires NATO to monitor and respond to threats from all geographical directions.
Colomina elaborated on NATO's decision regarding the Strait of Hormuz, stating that the alliance has opted not to take a direct operational role. "Right now, with regard to the Strait of Hormuz, NATO has decided not to take an active role, but we are encouraging our allies to take that role through the multilateral, multinational maritime mission," Colomina said. This mission, currently led by France and the UK, involves several allied nations working to ensure the free flow of goods. NATO may reconsider its stance on the strait if member states deem it necessary.
The regional war, which began on February 28, has placed the security of global energy corridors at the forefront of the Ankara summit's agenda. NATO is also expanding cooperation with partners in the Middle East and North Africa through its Southern Neighbourhood Action Plan. This initiative, launched two years ago at the Washington summit, aims to help regional partners build resilience against asymmetric threats.
Under the 2004 Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (ICI), NATO is launching four major "flagship projects" to address the security needs of its Gulf partners - Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. The projects will focus on counter-drone capabilities, maritime security, Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) defense, and counterterrorism cooperation. "Those flagship projects are meant to be a completely different way of cooperating with these four countries to strengthen our cooperation, to strengthen their own security, and to strengthen through that our shared security," Colomina stated.
Javier Colomina also commended the Turkish defense sector as a significant pillar of NATO, highlighting that more than 3,000 Turkish companies are integrated into the alliance's supply chains. He mentioned that NATO's Defense Industry Forum in Ankara has facilitated agreements worth tens of billions of dollars between private contractors and allied governments. Additionally, he acknowledged Ankara's contributions beyond its borders, including missions in Bulgaria and Hungary, and an international peacekeeping force in Kosovo.