NATO is the abbreviation of North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It operates as an international military alliance, which was established on the basis of the North Atlantic Treaty signed by 12 countries on April 4, 1949 and joined by 19 more countries in different periods. This alliance was formed by its members for the common defense against external threats. The main purpose of NATO is to protect and strengthen the common defense and security interests of member countries.
headquarters of NATOIt is located in Brussels, the capital of Belgium, which is one of 31 members. The purpose of the organization is to defend together when its members are under threat of attack. While 19 countries take part in NATO’s “Partnership for Peace” initiative, 19 other countries participate in institutional dialogue programs. NATO members account for the majority of defense spending worldwide, accounting for more than 70% of total military spending. Members’ defense expenditures correspond to 2% of their national income.
Purpose of NATO
Purpose of NATODuring the Cold War, the Western Bloc countries needed a security system against the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact. The basic principle of NATO is to act together and to provide collective defense in case of attack among member states. This principle is incorporated into its constitution by a provision known as “Article 5”. Accordingly, if a NATO member is attacked, the other members commit to helping the attacked country.
Other key objectives of NATO include military capacity building, crisis management, counterterrorism, foreign policy coordination and promoting cooperation between countries that share democratic values. At the same time, NATO works on issues such as supporting international security and stability, arms control and disarmament.
NATO has increased the number of members since its establishment and has 31 members as of 2023. The organization aims to create a strategic alliance in line with common interests by bringing together countries with democratic values. NATO is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium and is among the decision-making bodies. North Atlantic Council located at the highest level.
NATO Enlargement
enlargement of NATO It is the process of joining new members to the alliance. The membership process is regulated in Article 10 of the North Atlantic Treaty. According to this article, the approval of all existing member states is required for a country to join or be invited to NATO.
NATO has been established since 1949. Türkiye and with the accession of Greece in 1952, West Germany in 1955, and Spain in 1982. After the Cold War, the unification of Germany took place in 1990. In 1999 Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic joined NATO. Seven countries in 2004, Albania and Croatia in 2009, Montenegro in 2017, and most recently North Macedonia on 27 March 2020 became NATO members, thus bringing the number of member states to 30.
The issue of future enlargement is a matter of debate in many countries that are not yet members of the alliance. Countries such as Sweden and Serbia engage in open political discussions on membership. In countries like Ukraine, support or opposition to membership depends on ethnic and nationalist ideologies. Especially the unification of the Eastern Bloc and the former members of the Soviet Union has been a reason for the increasing tension between NATO countries and Russia.
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia and Ukraine are recognized as official candidates by NATO as of 2019. Due to the increased tensions after the start of the Russia-Ukraine War, Finland and Sweden applied for NATO membership, but these applications were rejected by Turkey and Hungary. However, as a result of the negotiations for Finland’s NATO membership, it was approved by Turkey and Hungary and on April 4, 2023, Finland became the 31st member of NATO.
How to become a member of NATO?
The membership process to NATO consists of certain steps and in order for a potential country to become a NATO member, it must meet certain conditions. Here in general NATO membership process:
Notification of Request: A country submits a notification of request to the NATO Secretariat in order to formally communicate its request for membership to NATO. If this notification is accepted, the membership process begins.
Evaluation: NATO evaluates the eligibility criteria of the country applying for membership. In this evaluation process, the democratic institutions of the applicant country are expected to embrace NATO’s values, such as the protection of the rule of law, human rights and fundamental freedoms.
Consultations: NATO consults with the applicant country. At this stage, the candidate country is encouraged to undertake the necessary reforms to meet NATO’s political, military and defense standards. NATO may request information on the candidate country’s defense capacity, military structure, security policy and defense expenditures.
Invitation to Participate: NATO members send an invitation letter to join if the candidate country supports membership. The invitation marks the final stage for NATO membership.
Parliamentary Approval: The candidate country’s parliament must approve the NATO membership agreement. This means that the country’s political process has officially accepted NATO membership.
Accession Protocol: NATO member countries sign an accession protocol to formally recognize the candidate country’s NATO membership. This protocol demonstrates that the candidate country has accepted NATO rules and commitments.
Membership: After the candidate country’s parliament approves the accession protocol, the country is considered a full member of NATO. When the membership process is completed, the country has all the rights and responsibilities of NATO.
The process of joining NATO can often be time-consuming and complex. Each candidate country’s situation is different and the process may vary depending on country-specific circumstances. During the accession process, the candidate country must complete political, military and economic reforms.
NATO Member States
There are 31 countries that are members of NATO. Here is the list of NATO member states as of 2023:
