A Strategic Reset: Revival of Saudi-Turkey Comprehensive Partnership |
A Strategic Reset: Revival of Saudi-Turkey Comprehensive Partnership
Saudi Arabia and Turkey—often viewed as the economic and military pillars of the Muslim world—are moving toward a renewed strategic convergence after years of tensions. Shifting regional dynamics, Israel’s genocidal campaign, and a recalibrating US role in the Middle East have pushed both states to reset their partnership, signaling a broader geopolitical realignment.
Saudi Arabia has always been a close ally of Washington, and Turkey is a prominent member of NATO. The two nations have been competing over their influence in the Middle East for decades, and this has, at times, led to an aggressive attitude towards one another. Saudi Arabia was on the brink of recognizing Israel before the full-scale invasion of Gaza, while Turkey was drifting away from it due to conflicting regional objectives.
Turkey’s highly vocal stance in support of Palestine and its evolving defense industrial base have always irritated Israel, whose sole aim is to neutralize any military prowess of Muslim states in the region. However, due to recent changes in Middle Eastern politics, including Israel’s extremely offensive behavior and major powers’ fluctuating interests, both Saudi Arabia and Turkey are recalibrating their traditional foreign policy approach. A kind of resetting is clearly apparent in the region, with both the economic and military wings of the Muslim world coming together with a broader regional agenda on the table.
Historical Perspective
Having established diplomatic relations through a ‘Friendship Treaty’ in 1929, both Turkey and Saudi Arabia have been playing a vital part in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). Both countries have also established a Joint Economic Commission (JEC) to bolster economic ties in different avenues. The trade volume between the two in 2024 reached 8 billion US dollars. In addition to the diplomatic and financial bromance, both countries have also developed a defense partnership,........