Turkey is reported to be in advanced discussions to join a recently concluded collective defence arrangement between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, raising questions about whether Ankara is exploring the idea of a parallel security bloc resembling an “Islamic NATO.” According to a Bloomberg report citing sources familiar with the matter, the talks have progressed significantly and an agreement is considered highly likely. Under the defence pact signed by Pakistan and Saudi Arabia in 2025, any act of aggression against one member is to be treated as an attack on all, giving the arrangement strong mutual defence overtones.
If Turkey formally joins the existing Pakistan–Saudi defence agreement, it could create a new security alignment with the potential to alter regional power dynamics in the Middle East and beyond. Bloomberg noted that Ankara’s participation would significantly expand the scope and influence of the pact, linking a NATO member with a nuclear-armed country and one of the world’s most financially powerful states. Such a convergence could have far-reaching strategic implications.
Turkey has consistently aligned itself with Pakistan on key issues, including Kashmir, and its military cooperation with Islamabad has intensified in recent years. During the four-day military escalation between India and Pakistan in May 2025, Ankara provided Pakistan with extensive support, including more than 350 military drones and trained operators. Pakistan reportedly deployed Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 and YIHA drones during the conflict, highlighting the depth of defence cooperation between the two countries.
Beyond drones, Turkey has played a growing role in strengthening Pakistan’s naval and air capabilities. Turkish shipbuilders are assisting Pakistan in constructing Babur-class frigates, derived from Turkey’s MILGEM-class corvettes, for the Pakistani Navy. Ankara has also delivered additional warships built in Turkey and is helping modernise Pakistan’s fleet of F-16 fighter jets. Alongside hardware support, Turkey has provided training to Pakistani military personnel, further cementing their defence partnership.
Strategists see complementary strengths among the three countries. Nihat Ali Ozcan, a strategist at Ankara-based think tank TEPAV, told Bloomberg that Turkey brings operational military experience and a developed defence industry, Pakistan contributes nuclear weapons and ballistic missile capabilities, and Saudi Arabia offers immense financial resources. Together, these assets could form a powerful strategic bloc.
Although Turkey is a member of the US-led NATO alliance and possesses the second-largest armed forces within the bloc after the United States, it appears to be exploring alternative or supplementary defence arrangements. This comes at a time when US President Donald Trump has questioned the relevance and burden-sharing model of NATO, potentially prompting allies like Turkey to diversify their security partnerships.
Bloomberg reported that shifting regional dynamics and the fallout from ongoing conflicts are encouraging countries to reassess alliances and develop new mechanisms to define strategic partners and adversaries. As US policy increasingly prioritises its own interests and those of Israel, Ankara may see value in broadening its defence footprint beyond traditional Western frameworks.
The report, based on information from unnamed sources, noted that Turkey’s Defence Ministry declined to comment on the discussions, while Pakistan’s Information Ministry did not respond to requests for clarification. Saudi officials were also unavailable for comment. Bloomberg suggested that Turkey’s interests are increasingly aligned with those of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia across South Asia, the Middle East and parts of Africa, making such an expanded alliance strategically appealing.
In September 2025, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement during a visit by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to Doha. While details of the pact have not been officially disclosed, reports suggest that Pakistan’s nuclear deterrent could be considered part of Saudi Arabia’s defence framework if required, underscoring the seriousness of the agreement.
Turkey’s military assistance to Pakistan has grown markedly in recent years. Turkish Aerospace Industries is carrying out a midlife upgrade of 42 Pakistan Air Force F-16 aircraft, extending their operational lifespan to 12,000 flight hours. According to the United Nations COMTRADE database, Pakistan imported $5.16 million worth of arms, ammunition, and related components from Turkey in 2024, reflecting steadily expanding defence trade.
Drones have emerged as the most significant area of cooperation. Reports indicate that during Operation Sindoor, Turkey supplied Pakistan with large numbers of drones and loitering munitions, along with trained personnel to assist in their deployment. Sources have claimed that two Turkish operatives were killed during these operations. Prior to this, Turkey had also sent a warship to Karachi and deployed a C-130 military transport aircraft to Pakistan. Discussions are ongoing between Ankara and Islamabad to establish a production line in Pakistan for drones such as the Bayraktar TB2 and related munitions.
Should Turkey formally join the Pakistan–Saudi defence pact, it would also signal a reset in Ankara’s relations with Riyadh after years of rivalry over leadership in the Sunni Muslim world. Relations between the two countries have improved recently, with expanding economic and defence cooperation, including their first-ever naval engagement held in Ankara. Both nations share concerns over Iran’s regional influence, support a stable Sunni-led government in Syria, and back Palestinian statehood.
A trilateral defence framework involving a NATO member, a nuclear-armed state, and the custodian of Islam’s holiest sites would represent an unusual convergence of military power, strategic geography, and financial strength. Such an alliance could complicate existing geopolitical calculations for the US, NATO, Iran and India, while potentially reshaping security partnerships across West Asia, South Asia and parts of Africa.
