- Turkish FM stresses need for broader regional cooperation, trust.
- Says issues could be resolved if nations “be sure of each other”.
- Bloomberg reports Ankara in advanced talks to join defence pact.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Thursday that talks have been held on a possible defence pact with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, but no agreement has been signed.
Responding at a press conference in Istanbul to a question about whether there might be such an alliance, Fidan pointed to what he said was a need for broader regional cooperation and trust, and added that regional issues could be resolved if relevant countries would “be sure of each other”.
His comments follow a Bloomberg report last week that said Ankara was at an “advanced stage of discussions” to join the Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement (SMDA) between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
The publication, citing people familiar with the matter, reported that the talks were likely to conclude with a deal.
The SMDA between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia treats an attack on either nation as an act of aggression against both. It was signed on September 17, 2025, during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to Saudi Arabia.
The Bloomberg report stated that Turkiye was mulling joining the pact amid concerns over the reliability of the United States, and its increasingly overlapping interests with those of Saudi Arabia and Pakistan in South Asia.
Pakistan and Turkiye maintain decades-long defence ties, under which Ankara is building corvette warships for the Pakistan Navy.
Turkiye has also upgraded numerous F-16 fighter jets of the Pakistan Air Force, and also shares its drone technology with Islamabad.
Pakistani officials credit the country’s military success against India in the May 2025 conflict to strengthened defence agreements.
On Wednesday, PM Shehbaz said Pakistan was engaged in discussions with multiple countries on defence agreements, including the sale of its fighter jets.
“After Pakistan won the war last year, the demand for Pakistani fighter jets has increased […] many countries are actively engaged with us to acquire the jets,” the premier said while addressing a meeting of the federal cabinet.
Prior to that, Minister for Defence Production Raza Hayat Haraj told the BBC that Islamabad was in talks with several countries over potential agreements to sell JF-17 Thunder fighter jets.
Pakistan and India went to war in May last year after India launched an unprovoked attack on Pakistan following the attack on tourists in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
New Delhi maintains that the terrorists who killed 26 tourists in IIOJK’s Pahalgam were Pakistanis — an accusation that Islamabad has denied and has also asked India to partake in a neutral investigation.
Pakistan, during the 87-hour conflict, downed its six fighter jets, including three Rafale, and dozens of drones.
The war between the two nuclear-armed nations ended on May 10 with a ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States.
