Turkey is in talks to join a Saudi Arabia–Pakistan security arrangement that mirrors NATO’s collective defence principle, a move that could reshape strategic alignments across the Middle East and South Asia, Bloomberg reported.
The proposed pact, originally concluded between Riyadh and Islamabad, is said to resemble NATO’s Article 5 provision, under which an attack on one member is treated as an attack on all. Discussions with Ankara have advanced significantly, according to people familiar with the matter.
Division Of Roles Takes Shape
Under the emerging framework, each country would bring distinct capabilities to the table. Saudi Arabia would offer financial backing, Pakistan would contribute its nuclear deterrent, ballistic missile capacity and manpower, while Turkey would add military expertise and a growing domestic defence industry.
Nihat Ali Ozcan, a strategist at the Ankara-based think tank TEPAV, said shifting regional dynamics were driving countries to seek new security mechanisms. “As the US prioritises its own interests and that of Israel in the region, changing dynamics and fallout from regional conflicts are prompting countries to develop new mechanisms to identify friends and foes,” he said.
People briefed on the discussions described a broader alliance as a logical next step, noting that Turkey’s strategic interests are increasingly converging with those of Saudi Arabia and Pakistan across South Asia, the Middle East and parts of Africa.
Growing Coordination, Wider Implications
Signs of closer coordination are already visible. Turkey’s Defence Ministry said the three countries held their first-ever naval meeting in Ankara earlier this week, signalling deeper military engagement.
The potential expansion carries particular significance because Turkey is not just another regional power. It is a long-standing member of the US-led NATO alliance and has the second-largest military in NATO after the United States.
Saudi Arabia and Turkey also share longstanding concerns about Shiite-majority Iran, though both prefer engagement with Tehran over direct military confrontation. They are aligned in backing a stable, Sunni-led Syria and in advocating Palestinian statehood.
Turkey’s defence relationship with Pakistan is already well established. Ankara is building corvette warships for the Pakistani navy, has modernised dozens of Pakistan’s F-16 fighter jets, and shares drone technology with both Riyadh and Islamabad. Turkey has also invited the two countries to take part in its Kaan fifth-generation fighter jet programme, Bloomberg previously reported.
