A new defense pact between Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan binds three of the most prominent military and economic powers in the region and will change security dynamics in the Middle East, according to an international affairs expert.
Türkiye, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia sealed a joint defense agreement in Saudi's Makkah last Friday, bringing three major powers in the region together in a new security partnership aimed at strengthening collective deterrence. Pakistan's nuclear capability is viewed as adding a particularly significant element of deterrence to the new group.
"Rather than involving another institution, the message being conveyed is that nuclear weapons could be used in the event of an attack on any one of these countries, with the aim of preventing such an attack through nuclear deterrence," said Filiz Katman, an assistant professor of Political Science and International Relations at the Istanbul Aydin University.
The defense pact brings together complementary strengths. Türkiye is a NATO member and has the alliance's second-largest army. Pakistan is a nuclear-armed state, and Saudi Arabia is one of the Gulf's most influential economic and political powers.
The agreement comes as the conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel continues to spill across the region. Saudi Arabia has faced attacks from Iran and Iran-aligned groups. And just two days after the pact was signed, Yemen's Houthis said they targeted Saudi Aramco's Jazan refinery with a drone.
"It is no longer just Saudi Arabia. Alongside it is a nuclear-armed Pakistan, and of course Türkiye, with its UAVs and armed drones, which have a very high deterrence capability and have changed the course of wars. Such a move would mean confronting this potential and this power as well," said Katman.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that the pact is technically similar to NATO's Article 5 -- treating an attack against one member as an attack against all. However, exactly what that means in practice remains to be determined.
For Türkiye, the pact also reflects a broader effort to diversify its strategic partnerships while maintaining existing alliances.
Some analysts said the agreement will expand Türkiye's strategic influence, shifting the region's strategic balance of power -- possibly prompting other countries to reassess their own security.
"This four-directional, 360-degree policy will multiply Türkiye's strength. It will create a multiplier effect. NATO is also aware of this. It is something that will contribute to increasing Türkiye's strength in every way. But it also creates new circumstances that will require adversaries to adjust their perspective and prepare accordingly," said Katman.
Moreover, the alliance may not stop at three members. Türkiye said Egypt could potentially join, while envisioning the pact eventually expanding to include other countries in the region.
Saudi Arabia-Türkiye-Pakistan defense pact redraws Mideast security dynamics: expert
Saudi Arabia-Türkiye-Pakistan defense pact redraws Mideast security dynamics: expert
