GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) is a regional intergovernmental political and economic union consisting of all Arab states of the Persian Gulf, except for Iraq. Its member states are Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.The Charter of the Gulf Cooperation Council was signed on 25 May 1981, formally establishing the institution.
Common Union, Common Market. Common currency and forming a unified military are the main objectives to meet.
However the things started changing in Arap Penisula. Saudi Arabia and to some extent United Arab Emirates are going under political reforms. They are aware that they cannot rely upon the oil products to survive. They both can have the power to pressure down the opposition at home but not the power to pressure Qatar which has the free media that displays the domestic issues and pressure of those countries to the oppositions at home.
But thansk to support of Trump, both Saudi Arabia and UAE have the freer hand to confront Qatar including Iran. Moreover both countries have already campaigned to isolate Qatar from Arab States business.
The embargo by GCC countries force Qatar to seek new alliances in the region. Iran is a vital country to maintain a good relation. Thus, supporting Islamists regionally and gaining credibility for its independent media are critical for Qatar. But what is more important is Turkey.
Qatar has invited Turkey to establish a military base. Thus, silently Turkey set it up on November 26 silently. While Saudi Arabia and UAE have announced that they would seek a new council to discuss and form a commom security agenda, they signalled that Qatar would be out of the table. The military base makes significant sense to Qatar in that regard.
All these point might signal a declining importance of GCC however its name and its meetings will continue despite the fact that the reasons of its formation are getting loosened. What is clear from now on that Qatar, Saudi Arabia and other have already begun to shape its own policies in Middle East.
Ultimately it gives a huge maneuver to countries like Iran and Turkey to increase their influences in the Middle East. Turkey establishing military base in Qatar and establishing good relations with Somalia in order to set navy base in Somalia put herself controlling the energy routes where as Iran would have more influence in Iraq and Syria in order to obtain a energy route directly to Europe via Mediterrian Sea.
