Turkey is currently in talks to join an existing mutual defense framework with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, according to a report from Bloomberg.
The agreement would constitute the latest addition to the bilateral defense agreement between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, established in September 2025. Notably, the pact contains a collective defense clause stating that “any aggression” against one member is an attack on all. Last Friday, Bloomberg reported that the talks were in an “advanced stage” and that an agreement was “very likely.”
The agreement in question is the Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement (SMDA), signed in Riyadh in September 2025 by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The pact formalized a long-standing security relationship between the two countries and includes a collective defense clause similar to NATO's Article 5. The agreement was finalized in the wake of the failed Israeli strike in Doha to kill senior Hamas political leaders, a move that outraged many Arab leaders.
Despite the high tensions across the Middle East and South Asia, Saudi and Pakistani officials have emphasized that the agreement is defensive in nature and not aimed at any specific countries.
If finalized, Turkey’s accession would expand the pact beyond its original bilateral framework. It would introduce a third major regional military power into the agreement, creating a prospective alignment resembling a “Muslim NATO.”
This reflects both its collective defense element and the geographic scope of its potential influence across the Middle East and South Asia. Reports from multiple outlets indicate that negotiations with Ankara are at an advanced stage, although key details remain unclear. No draft accession text has been made public, and it is not yet known whether Turkey would assume identical obligations under the mutual defense clause or whether its role would be tailored through additional provisions.
Why this pact is notable
All three countries share overlapping strategic interests and a history of defense cooperation that predates the SMDA. Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have long maintained close military ties, including training and advisory arrangements, while Turkey has deepened defense relationships with both states in recent years.
What distinguishes the current talks from the historical cooperation among the three countries is the effort to formalize these relationships under a mutual defense framework. Each country brings complementary assets to such an arrangement. Saudi Arabia contributes significant financial resources and regional diplomatic weight as the largest economy in the Arab world.
Pakistan provides strategic depth through its large military, missile capabilities, and nuclear deterrent. Turkey adds substantial conventional military power, operational experience, and a rapidly expanding defense industry. Together, these capabilities could form a more structured and coordinated security bloc than the existing bilateral Saudi-Pakistani arrangement.
Turkey’s reported interest also raises questions about its position within NATO. As the alliance’s second-largest standing military, Ankara has increasingly pursued strategic autonomy and diversified security partnerships.
This comes as Ankara continues negotiations with Washington over a possible return to the F-35 program, a move that has reportedly faced opposition from Israel amid broader concerns over Turkey’s regional posture. Additionally,
While participation in a separate defense pact would not automatically violate NATO obligations, it could complicate Turkey’s relationship with Western allies and add another layer of complexity to its already strained ties with parts of the alliance. Nihat Ali Ozcan, a strategist with a think tank in Ankara, offered some rationale for Turkey’s interest in the agreement.
“As the US prioritizes 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 in an interview with Bloomberg.
Turkey’s expanding diplomatic footprint has also been highlighted by recent developments in Washington.
According to The Jerusalem Post, former US president Donald Trump has appointed Turkey to his Gaza “Board of Peace,” a move that places Ankara among a small group of regional and international actors involved in shaping post-war proposals for the enclave.
The appointment underscores Turkey’s growing engagement across multiple diplomatic tracks, even as it pursues parallel defense discussions with partners in the Middle East and South Asia.
For Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, expanding the SMDA may help institutionalize security guarantees amid shifting global alignments. For Turkey, the move would signal a willingness to anchor its regional role through formal defense commitments beyond the transatlantic framework.
While official confirmation is still pending, Turkey’s potential entry into the Saudi-Pakistan defense pact would represent a notable development in regional security architecture.
Analyst at The Media Line, Arshad Mehmoud, notes that the inclusion of a formal mutual defense clause, rather than informal or ad hoc cooperation, is what gives the prospective arrangement broader strategic weight, particularly amid shifting regional alignments.