Turkey is actively pursuing a strategic realignment of regional security dynamics through enhanced military cooperation with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, according to sources and analysts familiar with the matter. This initiative represents Ankara’s broader ambition to establish a multilateral security framework independent of traditional Western alliances.
Recent diplomatic movements indicate Turkey’s interest in joining the bilateral security pact established between Riyadh and Islamabad in September 2025. This agreement, which treats any aggression against one nation as aggression against both, encompasses comprehensive military cooperation—including potential access to Pakistan’s nuclear capabilities.
Multiple Turkish sources confirm that security relations with Saudi Arabia have significantly deepened in recent years, though they emphasize that a NATO-style alliance remains premature. Instead, Ankara envisions a defensive cooperation mechanism that would initially include Pakistan and Saudi Arabia while potentially expanding to other regional actors.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is scheduled to visit Gulf nations, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, in March 2026. During these meetings, security cooperation with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is expected to feature prominently on the agenda.
Analysts suggest this emerging partnership would leverage Saudi Arabia’s financial resources, Pakistan’s military experience, and Turkey’s defense infrastructure. Dr. Cinzia Bianco of the European Council on Foreign Relations notes that Riyadh would likely serve as a conduit facilitating Pakistani-Turkish cooperation across intelligence sharing, defense industry collaboration, and operational interoperability throughout MENA and Red Sea theaters.
Regional security experts, including Murat Yeşiltaş of the SETA Foundation, indicate that these developments align with Turkey’s broader strategy to create regional stabilization mechanisms following potential political changes in Syria. Such cooperation could simultaneously counter Iranian proxy networks while addressing Israeli security concerns through multilateral frameworks rather than confrontation.
This initiative follows several failed regional security proposals, including Egypt’s NATO-modeled Arab defense force—blocked by Gulf nations in September—and Turkey’s earlier effort to establish an anti-ISIS coalition with Iraq, Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon.
Kadir Temiz of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies observes that medium-sized regional powers are increasingly assuming security responsibilities, potentially aligning with Washington’s interest in reducing direct military engagement in the Middle East. This emerging security architecture represents a fundamental shift toward regional solutions for regional challenges, potentially creating a new balance of power independent of both Western and Iranian influence.