The Future of NATO and Middle East Security

The SETA Foundation and the Global Institute for Strategic Research (GISR) are organizing a joint workshop titled “The Future of NATO and Middle East Security: Challenges, Opportunities, and Regional Dynamics” on December 14, 2024, at SETA Istanbul. Taking place at a time when regional and global security environments are rapidly shifting, the workshop aims to address discussions on NATO’s future as well as the emerging security architecture in the Middle East from expert perspectives.

The overall framework of the workshop will focus on themes such as the security debates intensified in Europe after the Russia–Ukraine war and the potential impacts of the U.S. pivot-to-Asia strategy on NATO. In particular, the possibility of a changing political approach in the United States—and how this might influence the transatlantic security architecture-stands out as one of the key issues to be explored.

The workshop will also assess the transformation of the regional balance of power, the diversified foreign policy orientations of Gulf countries, and the growing influence of regional actors such as Iran, Türkiye, and Israel. Additionally, the emergence of new non-NATO security architectures, the expanding influence of China and Russia, and the implications of Washington’s Asia-focused strategic priorities for Middle East security will constitute another major focus of the discussions.

This important event aims to contribute to a comprehensive and multidimensional evaluation of NATO’s future strategic direction and the evolving security landscape of the Middle East.