Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Pakistan to sign joint defense pact: AFP
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Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif are set to sign a joint defense agreement in Jeddah on Friday, a source close to the Saudi military told AFP, as regional tensions continue to rise.
Speculation has been mounting for months that the three Sunni Muslim countries are seeking to form a stronger alliance amid growing instability across the region.
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media, said: "Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey will sign a joint defense agreement in Jeddah on Friday."
The source added: "This has been under discussion for a long time, but recent developments in the region have accelerated the process."
Sharif and Pakistan's Army Chief, Asim Munir, arrived in Saudi Arabia on Thursday for a visit lasting until Saturday, while Erdoğan is scheduled to arrive on Friday, according to the Turkish presidency.
Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are already bound by a joint defense agreement announced in 2025.
The deal sparked widespread speculation, particularly over whether it could include a clause related to nuclear cooperation, given that Islamabad possesses nuclear weapons.
Last January, a source close to the Saudi military told AFP that Turkey would not join the Saudi-Pakistan defense agreement, after a Turkish official indicated at the time that Ankara was holding talks to join the alliance.
