Turkey Said to Seek Membership of Saudi-Pakistan Defense Pact
Ghauri intermediate-range missiles capable of carrying nuclear warhead, transported on launchers during a National Day parade in Islamabad.
Photographer: Farooq Naeem/AFP/Getty Images
Turkey is seeking to join the defense alliance between Saudi Arabia and nuclear-armed Pakistan, according to people familiar with the matter, paving the way for a new security alignment that could shift the balance of power in the Middle East and beyond.
The deal, initially signed by Saudi Arabia and Pakistan in September, states that “any aggression” against one country is considered an attack on all. That mirrors Article 5 in NATO, of which Turkey is the largest military after the US. The talks are at an advanced stage and a deal is very likely, said the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity.