Central Treaty Organization The Central Treaty Organization ( also referred to as CENTO ( Central Eastern Treaty Organization ) ; original name was Middle East Treaty Organization or METO ( also known as the Baghdad Pact ) was formed in 1955 by Iran , Iraq , Pakistan , Turkey , and the United Kingdom . It was dissolved in 1979 . U . S . pressure and promises of military and economic aid were key in the negotiations leading to the agreement , although the United States could not initially participate " for purely technical reasons of budgeting procedures . " In 1958 , the United States joined the military committee of the alliance . It is generally viewed as one of the least successful of the Cold War alliances . The organization ' s headquarters were initially located in Baghdad ( Iraq ) 1955 – 1958 and Ankara ( Turkey ) 1958 – 1979 . Cyprus was also an important location for CENTO due to its positioning within the Middle East and the British Sovereign Base Areas situated on the island . History . Modeled after the North Atlantic Treaty Organization ( NATO ) , CENTO committed the nations to mutual cooperation and protection , as well as non - intervention in each other ' s affairs . Its goal was to contain the Soviet Union ( USSR ) by having a line of strong states along the USSR ' s southwestern frontier . Similarly , it was known as the ' Northern Tier ' to prevent Soviet expansion into the Middle East . Unlike NATO , CENTO did not have a unified military command structure , nor were many U . S . or UK military bases established in member countries , although the U . S . had communications and electronic intelligence facilities in Iran , and operated U - 2 intelligence flights over the USSR from bases in Pakistan . The United Kingdom had access to facilities in Pakistan and Iraq at various times while the treaty was in effect . In addition , Turkey and the U . S . agreed to permit American access to Turkish bases , but this was done under the auspices of NATO . On July 14 , 1958 , the Iraqi monarchy was overthrown in a military coup . The new government was led by General Abdul Karim Qasim who withdrew Iraq from the Baghdad Pact , opened diplomatic relations with Soviet Union and adopted a non - aligned stance . The organization dropped the name ' Baghdad Pact ' in favor of ' CENTO ' at that time . The Middle East and South Asia became extremely volatile areas during the 1960s with the ongoing Arab - Israeli Conflict and the Indo - Pakistani Wars . CENTO was unwilling to get deeply involved in either dispute . In 1965 and 1971 , Pakistan tried unsuccessfully to get assistance in its wars with India through CENTO , but this was rejected under the idea that CENTO was aimed at containing the USSR , not India . CENTO did little to prevent the expansion of Soviet influence to non - member states in the area . Whatever containment value the pact might have had was lost when the Soviets ' leap - frogged ' the member states , establishing close military and political relationships with governments in Egypt , Syria , Iraq , the People ' s Democratic Republic of Yemen , Somalia , and Libya . Indeed , by 1970 , the U . S . S . R . had deployed over 20 , 000 troops to Egypt , and had established naval bases in Syria , Somalia , and P . D . R . Yemen . The Iranian revolution spelled the end of the organization in 1979 , but in reality , it essentially had been finished since 1974 , when Turkey invaded Cyprus . This led the United Kingdom to withdraw forces that had been earmarked to the alliance , and the United States Congress halted Turkish military aid despite two Presidential vetoes . With the fall of the Iranian monarchy , whatever remaining rationale for the organization was lost . Future U . S . and British defense agreements with regional countries — such as Pakistan , Egypt , and the Persian Gulf states — were conducted bilaterally . Google News reprints of the " Virgin Islands Daily News " ( Feb 17 , 1979 ) and the " Los Angeles Times " ( Feb 15 , 1979 ) indicate that with the withdrawal of Iran , the secretary - general of CENTO , a Turkish diplomat , called a meeting of the pact ' s council in order to formally dissolve the organization .