On May 28, 2025 – a date symbolic of both Azerbaijan’s Independence Day and regional resilience – the leaders of Pakistan, Türkiye, and Azerbaijan gathered in the city of Lachin for a historic summit. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an, and President Ilham Aliyev jointly affirmed their shared vision for a new strategic alliance aimed at strengthening peace, prosperity, and connectivity across Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif lauded Azerbaijan’s people for their perseverance in reclaiming their occupied lands and praised the symbolic importance of convening the summit in Lachin, recently liberated from Armenian occupation. He reiterated Pakistan’s full diplomatic and moral support to Azerbaijan during the 2020-2021 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, a gesture Baku has never forgotten. The Prime Minister also recalled Türkiye’s decisive support during Pakistan’s recent four-day military standoff with India – including the deployment of Turkish-made Songar drones – which played a key role in establishing strategic deterrence.
President Erdo?an reaffirmed Türkiye’s solidarity with Pakistan and emphasized that the three nations – together home to nearly 350 million people and commanding an economic footprint of over $1.5 trillion – would institutionalize their partnership through structured dialogues, joint ministerial platforms, and economic integration. He highlighted the strategic importance of regional connectivity projects like the Development Road, the Middle Corridor, and the North-South Transport Corridor, which will link Gwadar to the Bosporus and beyond. Erdo?an also pledged deeper cooperation in defense, including joint military exercises and co-production of military hardware.
President Ilham Aliyev underscored Azerbaijan’s role as a key gateway linking East and West. He pointed out that Baku has already invested over $20 billion in Türkiye and is preparing a $2 billion economic package for Pakistan. He spoke of transformative energy and infrastructure projects such as the East Zangezur Corridor, new airports in liberated territories, and the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway. With Pakistan planning a multimodal transport route through Azerbaijan, Aliyev highlighted the emerging trilateral alignment as a new pole of stability and prosperity in the region.
Geostrategic Imperatives and Regional Relevance
In a world increasingly moving towards multipolarity, middle powers like Pakistan, Türkiye, and Azerbaijan are well-placed to act as regional stabilizers and global connectors. This trilateral grouping brings together:
= Geostrategic Depth: Pakistan’s access to the Arabian Sea, Türkiye’s control over the Bosporus, and Azerbaijan’s location in the South Caucasus provide unmatched connective leverage.
= Military Synergy: Pakistan and Türkiye are among the top military powers in the Muslim world, each with robust defense industries and growing exports (e.g., Bayraktar drones, MILGEM corvettes, JF-17 jets). Azerbaijan, battle-hardened from its territorial conflicts, adds operational credibility and forward deployment capacity.
= Economic Potential: Collectively boasting GDPs over $1.5 trillion (2024 est.), these countries are pursuing strategic trade routes and energy corridors. Türkiye’s Middle Corridor, Pakistan’s CPEC and Gwadar, and Azerbaijan’s energy networks are being integrated into a broader trans-Eurasian trade zone.
= Diplomatic Capital: All three nations are active in multilateral bodies including the UN, OIC, ECO, SCO, and CICA. Their coordinated positions on issues like Islamophobia, Kashmir, Palestine, and Nagorno-Karabakh give voice to Global South concerns.
= Cultural and Religious Soft Power: With shared Turkic-Islamic heritage, diasporas across Europe, the Gulf, and Central Asia, and a rising youth demographic, the alliance offers a narrative of modern, moderate Muslim leadership.
Projects Underway and Future Prospects
The summit in Lachin produced a clear roadmap for future cooperation:
1. Energy and Trade Integration: Linking Caspian hydrocarbons to South Asia via pipelines, LNG routes, and electricity grids. Azerbaijan’s energy export expertise complements Pakistan’s demand and Türkiye’s logistical networks.
2. Defense Industrial Collaboration: Joint production of naval vessels, drones, and armored vehicles, as well as establishing an Islamic Defense Cooperation Framework to support vulnerable Muslim nations.
3. Transport Corridors: Operationalizing the Gwadar-Lachin-Istanbul corridor by connecting CPEC with the Middle Corridor and Baku-Tbilisi-Kars rail line.
4. Digital and Educational Exchanges: Launching trilateral universities, tech incubators, and joint media platforms to promote shared values and counter disinformation.
5. Joint Peace Mediation Teams: Offering conflict resolution services in war-torn Muslim regions such as Yemen, Libya, and Sudan.
Comparative Advantage over Other Regional Blocks
Unlike regional organizations often paralyzed by internal rivalries (e.g., SAARC), or blocs driven by great power rivalries (e.g., the QUAD or AUKUS), this trilateral alliance is rooted in cultural cohesion, historical solidarity, and shared regional stakes. While not seeking confrontation, it offers a parallel path to influence global governance structures from the perspective of Muslim middle powers. It also avoids the dominance of any single superpower, thereby preserving strategic autonomy.
The Path Ahead: Toward a Broader Muslim Middle Power Axis
In time, this trilateral grouping could expand to include other capable middle powers such as Iran, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia. Once core economic and security cooperation mechanisms are stabilized, these countries could be invited to join in observer or full membership roles – potentially birthing a Global South-led axis focused on energy security, cultural diplomacy, economic justice, and peaceful multilateralism.
Conclusion
The Pakistan-Türkiye-Azerbaijan triangle offers more than just symbolic unity. It is rapidly evolving into a concrete alliance for peace, prosperity, and multipolar engagement. As new corridors are built from Gwadar to the Bosporus and from Baku to Islamabad, this alliance signals a tectonic shift – where middle powers do not merely react to global orders but help shape them.
A new era is dawning – one in which the Global South, led by confident and cooperative nations like these three, defines the future of connectivity, stability, and strategic autonomy.
