Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan to sign joint defence deal

Regional sources with direct knowledge say Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan will sign a joint defense agreement on Friday, amid regional turmoil as Gulf states face criticism from Iran following attacks by the U.S. and Israel.

While the pact further cements a burgeoning grouping of major Sunni ​Muslim powers, there was no immediate clarity on each state’s commitments.

A Turkish ​official confirmed the agreement will be signed.

Turkey is a NATO member, while Saudi Arabia, another U.S. ally, stands out as one of the world’s leading oil exporters and the most powerful Gulf state. Pakistan, on the other hand, is the only Muslim-majority nation with nuclear weapons.

Turkish President Tayyip ​Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, accompanied by powerful army chief Asim Munir, ‌will ⁠meet Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah for the signing.

The pact comes after nearly a year of negotiations, as reported by Reuters in January, and coincides with the Iran war highlighting Gulf states’ security vulnerabilities and disrupting the flow of oil and other key goods through the Strait of Hormuz.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in January said that Ankara favoured a ​broader regional security platform to promote cooperation and 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.
The Pakistani military and ⁠government did ​not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Saudi ​Arabia’s government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.