ABDULLAH BURAK UĞURLU

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NEW STRATEGIES FOR NATO

NATO is the strongest alliance on the earth however, it needs to redefine its goals and
tools to stay relevant. Its goals did not get an update since 2010 and the world is spinning faster
than ever. In the last 10 years, the world states became more unstable and aggressive. NATO
should adopt necessary enhancements and adapt to these new situations. There are many things
NATO must put in its new strategic concept. While doing that, NATO countries should keep in
mind that some core concepts must be in this new strategic concept as well. These core concepts
are indispensable to the NATO mission. Therefore, in this essay I try to analyze potential threats
to the world peace and how NATO can respond them accordingly.

The need for NATO comes from the days of the Cold War. The idea of collective
defense was too important at that time for the USA due to the potential conventional Soviet
invasion of the Western Europe. Collective defense can be explained as “ontological security
is created and maintained through the close interaction between narrative and identity
constructions and through everyday practice and different forms of action.” 1 These narratives
and identities play big role in NATO missions. NATO is the umbrella alliance between liberal
democracies. Its first goal to prevent illiberal democratic forces from invading these countries
since 1949. Especially, after 2014 when Russia seized Crime illegally and in the immediate
aftermath invaded the Ukraine, shows us where the world is sailing to. Under Putin rule, Russia
became more aggressive and threatening. NATO must contain and limit Russian activities in
the European neighborhood. NATO countries individually may try to open talks with Russia;
however, NATO must show interest in reducing armaments. Another threat appears from the
East Asia: China. Chinese diplomacy becomes “wolf warrior diplomacy” every day. China
harasses its neighbors in the international seas and violates their sovereignties. NATO must
stop these aggressions by China and work towards a cooperation in the crisis management in
the war-torn countries. Also, birth of the ISIS forces NATO to intervene Middle East and the
North Africa regions. Spreading stability waves from these regions threatens the Europe and
the North America as well as the regions itself.

There are other potential threats for NATO. Technological competition in military,
intelligence wars and lack of political stability in the developing countries can be added to the

1
Trine Flockhart, “After the Strategic Concept: Towards a NATO Version 3.0” DIIS Report 2011: 06, pp. 25.
list of problems. NATO should produce its new strategic concepts on these grounds. First, core
concepts like deterrence should be protected. Without nuclear deterrence, NATO would face
with the possibility of losing its threat producing credibility. The founding motivation of NATO
to protect its members from invasions therefore, collective defense principle must play a big
role in the new strategic concept. Second, crisis management is still very important in the world
conflicts. NATO located in Afghanistan for many years and its withdrawal may encourage
extremists to export their ideologies in their neighborhood. NATO should not withdraw from
crisis regions without securing stability and elimination of extremists. NATO has very
important case studies in the past regarding crisis management such as Kosovo and Bosnia.
Third, NATO must cooperate with the other world powers to stabilize the regions. Especially,
help of China in this matter is very important. In the Kashmir region, China has a big role yet
to play. NATO countries must find ways to diplomatically engage with other powers. Fourth,
in the last decade there were other big problems such as migration, instabilities, climate change
and spread of illiberal regimes. NATO must have interference and intervene in this new
strategic concept. Expanding of illiberal regimes creates stability for the world. NATO must be
ready to change this new status quo.

Overall, existence of NATO gives warm to the hearts of democratic people. Without
NATO, the world would be in the grave danger of the illiberal and hybrid regimes. The Article
5 and the collective defense form the backbone of NATO. Officials must bear in mind that a
world without NATO would be more chaotic therefore, they must show necessary attention to
the organization and update its policies according to the 2020s demands.