By Srijita Chakraborty
Turkey is in advanced talks to join a Saudi Arabia–Pakistan security arrangement that mirrors NATO’s collective defence clause, a move that could reshape strategic alignments across the Middle East and South Asia, Bloomberg reported.
The pact, signed by Riyadh and Islamabad in September, reportedly states that any aggression against one member would be treated as an attack on all — language comparable to NATO’s Article 5. People familiar with the discussions said negotiations over Turkey’s entry have progressed significantly and a deal appears likely.
If finalised, the alliance would combine Saudi Arabia’s financial clout, Pakistan’s nuclear deterrent, ballistic missile capability and manpower, and Turkey’s military experience and expanding defence industry. Nihat Ali Ozcan, a strategist at Ankara-based think tank TEPAV, said the arrangement reflects shifting regional calculations as countries reassess traditional security guarantees.
“As the US prioritises its own interests and that of Israel, regional actors are developing new mechanisms to identify friends and foes,” Ozcan said.
Turkey’s possible involvement is especially significant, considering it is a long-time member of NATO, where it maintains the alliance’s second-largest military force, next only to the US. Turkey’s intentions have been regarded as an effort to improve deterrence capability in the presence of uncertainty over the reliability of Washington’s commitment.
The talks also mark a new phase in Turkey–Saudi ties, which were strained for years by rivalry over Sunni leadership. The two countries have since deepened economic and defence cooperation and held their first-ever naval meeting in Ankara this week, according to Turkey’s defence ministry.
The trilateral discussions come weeks after a ceasefire ended a brief but intense India–Pakistan military clash in May, underscoring persistently high regional tensions.