Turkey Reportedly Weighing a Role in Expanded Saudi–Pakistan Defence Partnership
Ankara is said to be considering alignment with the Saudi–Pakistan defence agreement as Gulf and South Asian security ties deepen
Turkey is reportedly contemplating closer involvement in the Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, according to regional commentary and diplomatic sources circulating this week.
The pact, originally signed by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Riyadh on September 17, 2025, obliges both signatories to treat any act of aggression against one as an act against both, marking a significant institutionalisation of their long-standing military cooperation.
The suggestion that Turkey may weigh joining or aligning more formally with the defence structure has been highlighted by prominent Turkish commentators and analysts in Islamabad and regional diplomatic circles.
These observers portray such an expanded arrangement as a potential evolution of the Saudi–Pakistan pact into a broader tripartite security framework, reflecting deepening cooperation among Sunni majority states with shared strategic interests.
While official channels in Ankara, Riyadh, and Islamabad have not confirmed any formal negotiations on Turkey’s accession to the pact, the speculation comes amid warming defence ties between Turkey and both Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.
Longstanding trilateral meetings have taken place to expand defence cooperation, including discussions on armaments, technology transfers, and joint military research.
Supporters of a broader alliance argue that linking Turkey’s advanced defence industry and NATO experience with Saudi Arabia’s financial resources and Pakistan’s battlefield experience could offer a formidable new strategic partnership in the Middle East and South Asia.
Such an alignment, they say, could counterbalance regional threats and provide greater autonomy for Muslim-majority states seeking diversified security arrangements beyond traditional Western frameworks.
However, experts stress that this remains speculative and that Turkey’s commitments as a North Atlantic Treaty Organization member could complicate any formal accession to the defence pact.
There has been no official government communication from Turkey indicating formal steps toward joining the Saudi–Pakistan agreement, and defence officials in all three capitals have so far remained silent on the matter.
The discussions unfold against the backdrop of a broader rethinking of regional security ties.
The Saudi–Pakistan defence agreement itself has been viewed as part of Riyadh’s strategy to diversify its security partnerships amid changing perceptions of U.S. commitments in the Gulf.
Analysts have noted the pact’s potential implications for deterrence dynamics, regional balance of power, and alliances in an era of shifting geopolitical priorities across West and South Asia.
The pact, originally signed by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Riyadh on September 17, 2025, obliges both signatories to treat any act of aggression against one as an act against both, marking a significant institutionalisation of their long-standing military cooperation.
The suggestion that Turkey may weigh joining or aligning more formally with the defence structure has been highlighted by prominent Turkish commentators and analysts in Islamabad and regional diplomatic circles.
These observers portray such an expanded arrangement as a potential evolution of the Saudi–Pakistan pact into a broader tripartite security framework, reflecting deepening cooperation among Sunni majority states with shared strategic interests.
While official channels in Ankara, Riyadh, and Islamabad have not confirmed any formal negotiations on Turkey’s accession to the pact, the speculation comes amid warming defence ties between Turkey and both Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.
Longstanding trilateral meetings have taken place to expand defence cooperation, including discussions on armaments, technology transfers, and joint military research.
Supporters of a broader alliance argue that linking Turkey’s advanced defence industry and NATO experience with Saudi Arabia’s financial resources and Pakistan’s battlefield experience could offer a formidable new strategic partnership in the Middle East and South Asia.
Such an alignment, they say, could counterbalance regional threats and provide greater autonomy for Muslim-majority states seeking diversified security arrangements beyond traditional Western frameworks.
However, experts stress that this remains speculative and that Turkey’s commitments as a North Atlantic Treaty Organization member could complicate any formal accession to the defence pact.
There has been no official government communication from Turkey indicating formal steps toward joining the Saudi–Pakistan agreement, and defence officials in all three capitals have so far remained silent on the matter.
The discussions unfold against the backdrop of a broader rethinking of regional security ties.
The Saudi–Pakistan defence agreement itself has been viewed as part of Riyadh’s strategy to diversify its security partnerships amid changing perceptions of U.S. commitments in the Gulf.
Analysts have noted the pact’s potential implications for deterrence dynamics, regional balance of power, and alliances in an era of shifting geopolitical priorities across West and South Asia.
