TURKIYE is seeking to join the recently-formed defence alliance between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, Bloomberg reported on Friday, in a move that could “shift the balance of power in the Middle East and beyond”.
The deal, initially signed by Saudi Arabia and Pakistan in September, states that “any aggression” against one country is considered an attack on all, which mirrors Article 5 of the Nato charter, of which Turkiye is the largest military partner, after the US.
Quoting people familiar with the matter, the Bloomberg report said talks are “at an advanced stage and a deal is very likely”.
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, sources said.
Turkiye also sees the pact as a way of strengthening security and deterrents when there are questions over the reliability of the US that has strong military ties with all three countries and President Donald Trump’s commitment to Nato.
Saudi Arabia brings financial clout, Pakistan has nuclear capability, ballistic missiles and manpower, while Turkiye has the military experience and has developed a defence industry, according to Nihat Ali Ozcan, a strategist with Ankara-based think tank TEPAV.
“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,” Ozcan said.
The Turkish Defence Ministry declined to comment, while Pakistan’s Information Ministry didn’t respond to a request for a comment. Saudi Arabian authorities weren’t immediately available to respond to a request for comment.
New era
Should Turkiye ink its membership in the alliance, it would underscore the new era in its relations with Saudi Arabia as well. After turning the page on years of rancor, the countries are working to develop economic and defence cooperation. They held their first-ever naval meeting in Ankara this week, according to the Turkish defence ministry.
While they also share long-standing concern over Iran, they prefer engagement with Tehran rather than force. The Turks and Saudis also back a stable Syria and statehood for Palestinians.
Turkiye and Pakistan, meanwhile, have long enjoyed close military relations. Ankara is building corvette warships for the Pakistan Navy and has upgraded dozens of its F-16s.
Turkiye is already sharing drone technology with both countries, and now wants them to join its Kaan fifth-generation fighter jet programme, Bloomberg earlier reported.
Published in Dawn, January 10th, 2026
