Turkiye seeks to join Saudi–Pakistan defense pact mirroring NATO: Report
A Turkish decision to join the pact indicates a new phase in previously strained relations between Ankara and Riyadh
Turkiye is seeking to join Saudi Arabia and Pakistan in a NATO-style defense alliance, Turkish media reported on 9 January, “potentially creating a new security alignment that could affect regional balances.”
In September, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed a defense pact that treats “any aggression” against one member as an attack on all, mirroring NATO’s Article 5.
“Talks on Turkiye’s participation are at an advanced stage, and a deal is considered likely,” Turkiye Today wrote, citing sources familiar with the matter speaking on condition of anonymity.
“Ankara also views the arrangement as a way to bolster security and deterrence amid questions over US reliability and President Donald Trump’s commitment to NATO, of which Turkiye is a member,” the newspaper added.
All three countries would benefit from such an alliance based on their individual contributions, according to Nihat Ali Ozcan, a strategist at the Ankara-based think tank TEPAV.
Saudi Arabia possesses significant financial resources due to its oil reserves, Pakistan possesses nuclear weapons, ballistic missiles, and a large standing army, and Turkiye has soldiers with combat experience and a developed defense industry, including advanced drone production.
Ozcan explained that “shifting regional dynamics are prompting countries to seek new mechanisms to define security partnerships.”
A Turkish decision to join the pact indicates a new phase in relations between Ankara and Riyadh.
Since the start of the so-called Arab Spring in 2011, Turkiye has closely allied with Qatar. Both countries strongly supported the Muslim Brotherhood to destabilize the region, including in Syria, Libya, and Egypt.
Saudi Arabia also participated in the project, which enjoyed support from the US and Israel. However, the Saudis turned against the Muslim Brotherhood, declaring it a terrorist organization in 2014.
In 2017, the kingdom imposed a blockade on Qatar – the Brotherhood's strongest sponsor. The Saudi military closed air, land, and sea routes to the island, while accusing Doha of supporting terrorism and interfering in regional affairs.
The blockade pushed the tiny Gulf state to seek further assistance from Turkiye, requesting that Ankara station troops there.
In a sign of their recent rapprochement, the Saudi and Turkish militaries held their first-ever naval meeting in Ankara this week, the Turkish Defense Ministry said on Thursday.
Pakistan has enjoyed long-standing military cooperation with both Turkiye and Saudi Arabia. Still, it is seeking even closer alliances in the wake of its brief wars with India in May and the Taliban-led Afghan government in October.
Pakistan accuses India and Afghanistan of supporting the Pakistani branch of the Taliban, Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which has carried out attacks in Pakistani territory, including twin suicide bombings targeting a courthouse in Islamabad in November.