TURKEY, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have prepared a draft defence agreement after nearly a year of talks, Pakistan’s minister for defence production has said, signalling a possible move towards deeper regional security cooperation.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan verified discussions occurred, but emphasised that no accord has been inked to date.
Pakistani minister Raza Hayat Harraj told Reuters news agency on Thursday that the proposed trilateral arrangement was separate from a bilateral defence accord announced between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia last year.
Harraj said a final consensus among all three countries would be required before the agreement could be concluded.
“The Pakistan–Saudi Arabia–Turkey trilateral agreement is something that is already in the pipeline,” Harraj said.
“The draft agreement is already available with us. The draft agreement is already with Saudi Arabia. The draft agreement is already available with Turkey. And all three countries are deliberating. And this agreement has been there for the last 10 months,” he added.
Harraj said the discussions reflected a shared interest among the three regional powers in strengthening defence cooperation amid wider instability.
Saudi Arabia and Pakistan recently inked the Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement, pledging that “any aggression against either country shall be considered an aggression against both.”
Fidan says consultations are ongoing
Speaking in Istanbul on Thursday, Turkish top diplomat Fidan confirmed that talks had taken place but stressed that no agreement had yet been signed.
Responding to questions about media reports on a possible trilateral pact, Fidan said the discussions should be viewed in the context of broader regional cooperation rather than the formation of a narrow alliance.
He emphasised the need for trust among countries in the region to overcome divisions that he said had fuelled conflict, terrorism and external intervention.
“At the end of all of these, we have a proposal like this: all regional nations must come together to create a cooperation platform on the issue of security,” Fidan said.
He added that regional problems could be resolved if countries were able to “be sure of each other.”
“At the moment, there are meetings, talks, but we have not signed any agreement,” Fidan said.
“Our President Recep Tayyip Erdogan‘s vision is for an inclusive platform that creates wider, bigger cooperation and stability.”
Fidan did not directly name Pakistan or Saudi Arabia in his remarks but said Turkey remained open to initiatives that promote long-term regional security and confidence-building.
The comments from Islamabad and Ankara underline ongoing diplomatic engagement among the three countries, even as officials stress that discussions remain at a consultative stage.
