Turkey expands regional influence through defense ties with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan

Former Greek Army Commander Konstantinos Ziazias has commented on the growing regional influence of Turkey, driven by a defense cooperation framework involving Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan.

Writing for the Greek defense site Militaire.gr, Ziazias noted that this partnership combines Turkey’s advanced defense industry and NATO experience with Saudi Arabia’s economic and energy power and Pakistan’s military capacity. He suggested that Turkey is positioning itself as a potential “security provider” for nations with security needs, such as Saudi Arabia, extending its strategic network from the Eastern Mediterranean to the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean.

Ziazias highlighted that this cooperation increases Turkey’s bargaining power and geopolitical weight, which in turn forces Greece to re-evaluate its own strategic calculations in the region. Furthermore, he indicated that the rapprochement between Ankara and Riyadh could impact regional plans involving Israel, potentially complicating Israel-Saudi Arabia relations.