Pact with Saudi and Pakistan could expand to Muslim world, Iran, Turkish speaker says

According to the Gulf Times, the speaker of the Turkish parliament suggested on Friday that a nascent defense pact involving Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan could eventually evolve into a broader security framework for the Muslim world. The speaker specifically noted that such an expansion could potentially include Iran, signaling a desire for a more inclusive regional security architecture.

The remarks come amid shifting geopolitical dynamics in the Middle East and South Asia, where nations are increasingly exploring multilateral security arrangements to address regional instability. The speaker framed the potential cooperation as a mechanism to foster greater unity and collective defense capabilities among Muslim-majority nations, though he did not provide a specific timeline or structural details for how such an expanded pact would function.

While the proposal reflects the diplomatic ambitions of the Turkish government, analysts note that integrating Iran into a security framework alongside Saudi Arabia would represent a significant shift in regional relations. The two nations have historically held competing interests, and any formal defense alignment would require overcoming long-standing diplomatic tensions. As of now, the statement remains a policy aspiration rather than a ratified international agreement.