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President Recep Tayyip Erdogan traveled to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, departing Ankara aboard the “TUR” aircraft for the capital, Riyadh.
Erdogan was seen off at Esenboga Airport by Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz, Ankara Governor Vasip Sahin and other officials.
Accompanying Erdogan are his wife, Emine Erdogan, and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.
The delegation also includes Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek, Family and Social Services Minister Mahinur Ozdemir Goktas, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar and Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacir.
Also present are Youth and Sports Minister Osman Askin Bak, National Defense Minister Yasar Guler, Health Minister Kemal Memisoglu, Communications Director Burhanettin Duran and Presidential Chief Adviser for Foreign Policy and Security Akif Cagatay Kilic, along with other officials.
Following his visit to Riyadh, Erdogan is scheduled to travel to Cairo on Feb. 4.
Erdogan’s visit comes amid reports that Türkiye has held talks on potentially joining a defense alliance formed by Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.
The pact, signed in September by Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, treats any aggression against one member as an attack on all.
Sources familiar with the matter said talks on Türkiye’s participation were at an advanced stage, citing overlapping interests across South Asia, the Middle East and Africa.
According to analyst Nihat Ali Ozcan, Saudi Arabia would contribute financial capacity, Pakistan nuclear capability and manpower, while Türkiye would bring military experience and a developed defense industry.
Türkiye’s Defense Ministry declined to comment, while Pakistan’s Information Ministry did not respond to requests for comment and Saudi authorities were not immediately available.
However, a source close to the Saudi military told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that Türkiye would not join the Saudi-Pakistan defense pact, describing it as a bilateral agreement that would remain unchanged.
A Gulf official also confirmed the information, saying Saudi Arabia has separate agreements with Türkiye but that the defense pact with Pakistan would stay bilateral.
The Saudi-Pakistan agreement, announced last year, raised questions due to Pakistan’s nuclear capabilities and was signed months after a four-day conflict between Pakistan and India in May that killed more than 70 people.
Saudi Arabia, which maintains strong ties with both Pakistan and India, is believed to have played a role in easing tensions following the conflict.
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