A particular kind of diplomatic gathering reveals more about the state of the world than a dozen grand declarations. It is the meeting that would have seemed unnecessary a decade ago, when the assumption was that Washington and its closest allies set the terms and everyone else negotiated within them. Istanbul showed how thoroughly that assumption has eroded. On 23 October 2026, Türkiye convened Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and itself—the R4—with Britain, France and Germany, the E3. The seven-country meeting addressed Palestine, Yemen, the Strait of Hormuz, maritime security and the war in Ukraine. It was the first gathering in this format, held amid mounting regional instability and a growing need for direct consultation between European and regional powers.

Nobody should mistake a meeting for a realignment. These seven countries disagree on important questions, maintain different relationships with Washington and Beijing, and protect their own interests. That is precisely why the meeting matters. They have concluded that, on certain questions, none can afford to leave the others outside the room. For Pakistan, the significance is immediate. Islamabad has spent decades being discussed in the context of other people’s security problems. It now has a chance to help shape the diplomatic responses to them. Sustaining that role is another matter. Britain, France and Germany are not diminished powers. Their economies, industrial capacity and diplomatic networks remain substantial. Yet the problems they face increasingly lie beyond European decision-making alone. A European position on the Gulf means little without Gulf cooperation. A maritime security initiative cannot be implemented by communiqué. A Middle East formula is unlikely to survive reality if the countries most exposed to its consequences have little ownership of it.

Turkiye understands this better than most. NATO membership has not stopped it from pursuing an independent regional policy or keeping channels open to governments on opposing sides of major disputes. Its position between Europe, the Black Sea, the Caucasus and the Middle East gives Ankara strong reasons to resist confinement to a single strategic camp. Saudi Arabia has broadened its diplomatic and economic relationships while driving a major domestic transformation. Egypt brings regional weight through the Suez Canal and its role in Arab diplomacy. Pakistan contributes different assets: a nuclear deterrent, substantial military capabilities, a strategic relationship with China, and political connections across the Gulf and wider Asia. These countries are not equal in every measure of power and do not speak with one voice. Their leverage comes from different sources.........

© The Friday Times