Potential New Strategic Axis May Unite Turkey’s Battle-Tested Military and Defence Manufacturing Strength With Pakistan’s Nuclear Deterrence and Missile Arsenal, Backed by the Vast Financial Influence of Saudi Arabia and Qatar
Tehran : Amidst the turmoil of the US–Israel conflict involving Iran, a new Quad Defense Alliance appears to be taking shape in the Middle East, as regional powers come together to secure their place at the negotiating table.
Pakistan has indicated that Qatar and Turkey, alongside Saudi Arabia, are planning to join a mutual defense cooperation pact with the nuclear-armed nation, as the ongoing strife reshapes security alignments across the Middle East and South Asia.
Pakistan’s Defense Minister, Khawaja Asif, stated on a local television program on Monday night, “This arrangement is currently in the process of being finalized.”
He added, “If Qatar and Turkey also join this existing agreement, it would be a positive development.”
Significance of the Alliance
Powered by Saudi and Qatari oil wealth, Turkey’s high-tech defense technology, and Pakistan’s nuclear capabilities, this formidable alliance could fundamentally alter the security landscape of the region.
Former adversaries—Riyadh and Ankara—are set to join forces; as the US-led confrontation with Iran has drawn the entire Middle East into the conflict, this move promises to mend ties following years of animosity over the leadership of the Sunni world.
The Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement signed between Islamabad and Riyadh in 2025 reportedly contains a collective defense clause, under which any attack against one signatory would be deemed an attack against all. According to a Bloomberg report, this clause is analogous to Article 5 of NATO.
Sources familiar with the matter noted that a broader alliance represents a logical step, as the conflict involving Iran has demonstrated that excessive reliance on the US will not suffice to safeguard regional interests during times of war.
Nihat Ali Özcan, a strategist at the Ankara-based think tank TEPAV, told Bloomberg, “As the U.S. prioritizes its own and Israel’s interests in this region, shifting dynamics and the fallout from regional conflicts are compelling nations to adopt new approaches in identifying friends and foes.”
The significance of this potential expansion is further heightened by the fact that Ankara is not merely another regional player. It is a long-standing member of the U.S.-led NATO alliance, and its military is the second-largest within this coalition.
It also possesses a mature defense industry and provided assistance to Pakistan during ‘Operation Sindoor’ in May 2025—a development that could carry significant security implications for India. The inclusion of two new elements in the Saudi-Pakistan agreement could potentially forge a new axis, combining Ankara’s military expertise and defense manufacturing base with Islamabad’s nuclear deterrence and ballistic missile capabilities, alongside the financial might of Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Some experts have dubbed this a “Muslim NATO” or an “Islamic NATO.”
What This Means for India
In an article published in The Eurasian Times, Indian Air Force Air Marshal Anil Chopra (Retd.) stated that if this alliance materializes, the “Islamic NATO” bloc could pose a serious challenge—and even a threat—to nations such as India, Israel, Armenia, and Cyprus.
He noted that this framework would complicate India’s security landscape, even if it does not immediately escalate into a direct military threat.
In the article, the military veteran observed, “Turkey and Pakistan are working in very close coordination.”
India, too, is concerned about this nexus.
India is also forging closer ties with Greece and Cyprus. India and Israel could coordinate even more closely within the Mediterranean region.
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