Inside the Turkiye-Pakistan-Saudi Pact and History's Most Notable Mutual Defence Alliances

A handout photograph taken and released by the Turkish Presidency press office on August 7, 2026, shows Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman walking alongside Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during their meeting in Mecca. One week on from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkiye signing their joint defence agreement, the Turkish defence ministry revealed more details about the alliance on Thursday. They include plans to hold joint military exercises and to deepen cooperation between their defence industries.

The bid to deepen security cooperation between three of the biggest economies among Muslim-majority countries comes amid heightened military tensions and conflicts in the Middle East. Over the course of the US-Israeli war on Iran, Saudi Arabia has been repeatedly hit by Iran, which says it is targeting US military assets in the Gulf. Pakistan’s foreign ministry said that the agreement states that an armed attack on any one of the three countries would be regarded as an attack against them all – similar to NATO’s Article 5 collective defence clause.

At a weekly briefing in the Turkish capital Ankara on Thursday, the Turkish defence ministry said the pact’s fundamental goal was to ensure defence and military ties were put on a more institutional and sustainable footing. Strategic political and military mechanisms plan to be established involving defence ministers, foreign ministers, and chiefs of general staff/armed forces commanders, ensuring coordination at the highest level.

The pact follows a visit by Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, accompanied by army chief Asim Munir, to Saudi Arabia to perform the Umrah pilgrimage in Mecca. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also travelled to Saudi Arabia on Friday to meet Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Turkiye, which has NATO’s second-largest army, has said the pact with nuclear-armed Pakistan and major oil exporter Saudi Arabia was open to expansion — Egypt has been touted as a potential candidate — and did not seek to replace any existing alliances.

Historically, mutual defence pacts have had mixed records in practice. While they can deter large-scale interstate wars, their effectiveness often drops in grey zone conflicts involving military occupation, internal repression, or proxy violence. Experts note they frequently serve as political signals rather than true collective defence mechanisms.

Major historical precedents include:

• The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), 1949: Formed out of Cold War fears, NATO's Article 5 stipulates that an attack on one member in Europe or North America is an attack on all. It has only been invoked once following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
• Arab League Joint Defence and Economic Cooperation Treaty, 1950: Established to promote cohesion among states including Iraq, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Yemen, stating an attack on one is an attack on all.
• Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance, 1957 (Rio Treaty): Signed in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, its core principle was collective defence, invoked during the Cuban missile crisis and September 11.
• The ANZUS Treaty, 1951: Signed by the US, New Zealand, and Australia, though New Zealand was later frozen out due to anti-nuclear policies.
• US-Japan Security Treaty, 1951: A bilateral agreement maintaining about 50,000 US military personnel in Japan.
• US-South Korea Mutual Defence Treaty, 1953: Provided a legal framework for stationing US troops in South Korea.
• The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)’s Peninsula Shield Force, 1984: Comprising Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, featuring a 40,000-personnel standing force.
• Treaty on European Union (TEU), 2009: Article 42(7) obligates EU members to aid a victim of armed aggression, invoked by France in 2015.
• Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO), 2002: A Russia-led alliance including Russia, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Belarus.