Turkey Exits Saudi-Pakistan Defense Pact: Bilateral Deal Confirmed

• Turkey will not join the mutual defense pact between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, despite earlier speculation.
• Sources close to the Saudi military and a Gulf official confirmed the pact remains strictly bilateral between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.
• Speculation about a three-way alliance grew amid regional tensions following Israeli airstrikes in Doha and Iran's bombing of a US air base in Qatar.
• The Saudi-Pakistan defense agreement, announced last year, raised questions due to Pakistan's nuclear capabilities and recent conflict with India.
• Saudi Arabia maintains good relations with India, a major energy importer, and played a role in de-escalating the recent Pakistan-India conflict.

Why It Matters: Turkey will not join the Saudi-Pakistan defense pact, which is confirmed to remain a bilateral agreement.