Turkiye wants to join the defense alliance between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan: Report
According to persons familiar with the situation, Bloomberg News Service reported on Friday that Turkiye is attempting to join a defense agreement between Saudi Arabia and nuclear-armed Pakistan, a move that may establish a new military bloc in the Middle East.
According to Bloomberg, the negotiations between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey are at a “high level of progress and a deal is highly probable.”
An attack on one country is considered an act of aggression against both Saudi Arabia and Pakistan under the Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement (SMDA).
According to the paper, “the expanded alliance would make sense because Turkiye’s interests increasingly overlap with those of Saudi Arabia and Pakistan in South Asia, the Middle East, and even Africa.”
“When there are doubts about the US’s dependability—the US has close military ties to all three countries—and President Donald Trump’s commitment to NATO, Turkey also views the pact as a means of bolstering security and deterrents.”
According to Nihat Ali Ozcan, a strategist with the Ankara-based think tank TEPAV, the report highlighted Riyadh’s financial might and Islamabad’s nuclear capacity, ballistic missiles, and manpower, while Turkiye offered military experience and a strong defense sector.
“Changing dynamics and the aftermath of regional conflicts are prompting countries to develop new mechanisms to identify friends and foes as the US prioritizes its own interests and that of Israel in the region,” Ozcan was quoted as saying.
Bloomberg claims that Turkiye’s accession to the alliance would mark the beginning of a new era in ties with Saudi Arabia.
Long-standing military ties exist between Pakistan and Turkey, with both nations working together on several defense initiatives.
According to the statement, Ankara has upgraded many of the Pakistan Air Force’s F-16 fighter jets and is providing corvette boats to the country’s Navy.
According to the source, Turkiye, which presently collaborates with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan on drone technology, is also seeking to include both nations in its Kaan fifth-generation fighter jet development.
On September 17, 2025, while Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was in Saudi Arabia, the two countries inked the historic SMDA.
In Riyadh, PM Shehbaz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman signed the agreement, solidifying the long-standing security alliance.
Ishaq Dar, the foreign minister and deputy prime minister, stated that other countries sought to sign a similar deal with Islamabad a few weeks after the contract was signed.
“We have an important defense treaty with Saudi Arabia. At a National Assembly meeting on October 3, 2025, he stated, “More nations now wish to sign a similar agreement with us.”
DPM Dar emphasized the importance of the deal, stating that a number of Arab and Muslim countries had indicated their desire to sign a similar accord with Pakistan.