In Pakistan-Saudi ‘hit one, hit all’ defence pact, a third player likely: Turkey plans entry to NATO-like security group
A Pakistan-Saudi defence agreement, which the countries signed last year, considers an attack on either of them as "an aggression against both".
Turkey is reportedly moving toward joining a defense pact linking Saudi Arabia and nuclear-armed Pakistan, an agreement under which the two sides consider an attack on either of them as "an aggression against both".
The negotiations are said to be well advanced and an agreement is highly likely Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Those familiar with the talks said an expanded alliance is logical given Turkey's growing convergence of interests with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan across South Asia, the Middle East and parts of Africa.
As mentioned above, the Saudi-Pakistan deal, signed by the two in September last year, states that “any aggression” against one country is considered an attack on all. The provision closely resembles North Atlantic Treaty Organisation's (NATO) Article 5, an alliance in which Turkey fields the second-largest military after the US.
How Turkey could be placed in the pact
The expanded alliance would make sense because Turkey’s interests increasingly overlap with those of Saudi Arabia and Pakistan in South Asia, the Middle East and even Africa, said the above-mentioned people.
Turkey also views the pact as a means to bolster security and deterrence amid doubts about US reliability, despite Washington's strong military ties with all three countries, and uncertainty surrounding President Donald Trump's commitment to NATO, the Bloomberg report mentioned.
If Turkey formally joins the alliance, it would highlight a new phase in relations with Saudi Arabia, once rivals for leadership of the Sunni Muslim world. After years of strained ties, the two countries are now pursuing closer economic and defense cooperation. According to the Turkish defense ministry, they held their first-ever naval meeting in Ankara this week.
The two countries also share long-standing concerns about Shiite-dominated Iran, while favoring engagement with Tehran over military confrontation. Both Turkey and Saudi Arabia support the establishment of a stable, Sunni-led state in Syria and back Palestinian statehood.
Turkey and Pakistan, meanwhile, have maintained close military ties for years. Turkey is constructing corvette warships for Pakistan's navy and has modernized dozens of its F-16 fighter jets. Ankara is already sharing drone technology with both countries and is seeking their participation in its Kaan fifth-generation fighter jet program, Bloomberg previously reported.
The deal between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia – “Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement” – marks what is perhaps Pakistan’s most consequential formal defence pact in several decades.
