Saudi-Pakistan-Turkey Military Superalliance: Is This The New ‘Islamic NATO’? | world news

New Delhi: Turkey is reportedly moving closer to joining a Saudi Arabia-Pakistan security pact that is forming like a regional version of NATO. Citing sources, Bloomberg said that the proposed agreement would operate under a collective defense model similar to NATO’s Article 5, where an attack on one member would be considered an attack on all.

What began as a Riyadh-Islamabad agreement is now evolving with Ankara’s involvement. Analysts say Saudi Arabia would provide funding, Pakistan would contribute nuclear weapons, missiles and troops and Turkey would bring its military expertise and domestic defense industry.

Nihat Ali Ozcan, a strategist at the Ankara-based think tank TEPAV, explained that the arrangement shows each country’s unique strategic assets.

He added that changing regional dynamics are driving this collaboration. “As the US prioritizes 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,” he said.

According to officials familiar with the discussions, formalizing this trilateral security arrangement is a logical step. Turkey’s strategic interests increasingly overlap with those of Saudi Arabia and Pakistan across South Asia, the Middle East and parts of Africa. Coordination between the three countries has already begun in practice.

Turkey’s Defense Ministry said that all three held their first-ever joint naval meeting in Ankara earlier this week.

Ankara’s potential entry carries considerable weight because the country is far from a peripheral player. It is a long-standing member of the US-led NATO alliance and maintains the second-largest military in NATO after the United States. Its capabilities range from advanced air power to indigenous drone technology, making it a powerful contributor to the emerging pact.

Saudi Arabia and Turkey also share long-term concerns about Iran, particularly its Shiite-majority leadership. Both prefer diplomatic engagement over direct military confrontation, but they are aligned in backing a stable, Sunni-led Syria and advocating for Palestinian statehood.

Turkey’s defense relationship with Pakistan is already well established. Ankara is constructing corvette-class warships for the Pakistan Navy, has modernized dozens of Pakistan’s F-16 fighter jets and shares drone technology with both Riyadh and Islamabad. It has also invited the two countries to join its Kaan fifth-generation fighter jet programme, a move that would strengthen technological and operational integration.

Observers say these trilateral talks gained urgency following a ceasefire between India and Pakistan in May 2025, which ended a four-day military standoff known as Operation Sindoor. During that brief but intense conflict, Turkey played a visible role in supporting Islamabad. It shows its willingness to project influence in South Asia along with its Gulf partners.

If formalised, the Saudi-Pakistan-Turkey arrangement could represent one of the most ambitious regional defense initiatives in decades. By combining financial resources, nuclear deterrence, advanced conventional forces and technology sharing, the pact aims to create a security architecture that allows members to respond collectively to regional threats.

The move also highlights a broader trend in international security, where countries are increasingly seeking alternatives to reliance on US-led alliances. For Riyadh, Islamabad and Ankara, the emerging “Islamic NATO” alliance offers a way to safeguard regional interests while sharing strategic burdens.

Experts suggest that such collaboration could extend well beyond conventional military planning. Joint exercises, technology transfer, coordinated intelligence sharing and operational integration are all likely elements, creating a networked defense system capable of responding to crises across multiple domains.

With Ankara taking a central role, the plan focuses on showing that these countries can manage their own security and make independent decisions. Analysts caution, however, that integrating these different capabilities (financial, nuclear, technological and operational) will require careful coordination and trust among the three capitals.

Insiders say momentum is growing fast. Saudi money, Pakistan’s nuclear and missile strength and Turkey’s military and technology could give these countries a strong collective advantage and show they can defend themselves together.

As this trilateral security partnership continues to develop, the world will be watching closely to see whether this emerging “Islamic NATO” could evolve from concept to operational reality. The pact has the potential not only to redefine regional defense dynamics but also to introduce a new model of collective security built on shared capabilities and strategic alignment across nations with converging interests.