In a key development on the strategic front, Turkiye is seeking to join the defence alliance between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, Bloomberg reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.
According to the report, such an alliance “makes sense” because Turkiye’s interests increasingly overlap with those of Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.
“The talks are at an advanced stage, and a deal is very likely,” the sources said.
According to Bloomberg, Turkiye participation in the defence alliance, which has the largest military presence in NATO after the US, “could shift the balance of power in the Middle East and beyond”.
Türkiye keen on setting up defence and high-tech production in Pakistan
In September last year, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a landmark “Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement” during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s state visit to Riyadh, at the invitation of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Under the pact, any aggression against either Pakistan or Saudi Arabia will be treated as an aggression against both states, thereby enhancing joint deterrence capabilities.
Meanwhile, the report stated that Turkiye also sees the pact as a way of strengthening security and deterrence when there are questions over the reliability of the US.
According to Nihat Ali Ozcan, a strategist with Ankara-based think tank TEPAV, Saudi Arabia brings financial clout, Pakistan has nuclear capability, ballistic missiles and manpower, while Turkey has the military experience and has developed a defence industry.
“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 told Bloomberg.
Turkiye’s Defence Ministry, Pakistan’s Information Ministry and Saudi Arabian authorities did not respond to a request for a comment.
Turkiye and Pakistan enjoy close military relations. Last month, a high-level Turkish delegation in Islamabad, led by Ahmet Khan, Group CEO and Honorary Investment Counsellor of Pakistan in Türkiye, signalled “strong interest“ in joint ventures, technology transfer, and the establishment of manufacturing facilities in Pakistan.
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