Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan to Sign Joint Defence Agreement

TRT World

Pakistan, Türkiye, and Saudi Arabia flags.

Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are set to sign a joint defence agreement on Friday, according to Reuters, citing regional sources with direct knowledge of the matter. The move comes amid heightened regional tensions, with Gulf states facing attacks from Iran following U.S. and Israeli strikes.

A Turkish official confirmed that the agreement will be signed, Reuters reported.

Türkiye is a NATO member, while Saudi Arabia, a key U.S. ally, is the world's largest oil exporter and the Gulf's leading regional power. Pakistan, meanwhile, is the only Muslim-majority country possessing nuclear weapons.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, accompanied by Pakistan's army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, will meet Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah to formalise the agreement.

The pact follows nearly a year of negotiations, first reported by Reuters in January, and comes as the conflict involving Iran has highlighted security vulnerabilities across the Gulf and disrupted the transport of oil and other vital goods through the Strait of Hormuz.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said in January that Ankara supports the creation of a broader regional security framework aimed at strengthening cooperation and promoting long-term stability.

An existing Saudi-Pakistani ⁠pact treats an attack on either as an attack on both and encompasses "all military means", a Saudi official previously told Reuters.



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