Pahalgam attack: Is Islamic axis of Pakistan, Turkey and Azerbaijan taking shape?

Are Pakistan and Turkey moving towards each other in the wake of the Pahalgam terrorist attack? Is there a sinister design to gang up against India in the name of Islamic unity? If media reports are to be believed, Ankara sent many defence aircraft with arms and ammunition to Pakistan. Though Turkey has claimed that the C-130 Hercules aircraft landed in Karachi for refueling purposes, many people doubt its intentions. However, Pakistani media has reported that the aircraft carried combat equipment. 

China-Turkey-Azerbaijan axis?

Analysts believe Ankara is moving closer to Islamabad at a time when the Pakistan government has expressed apprehension of an imminent Indian attack. The arrival of Turkish airplanes also suggests the emergence of a new axis in South Asia. China was the first country to support Pakistan's demand for an independent investigation into the Pahalgam attack. The Central Asian country of Azerbaijan also expressed it solidarity with Pakistan. Now, Turkey has joined them. So, an axis of China, Turkey, and Azerbaijan has emerged. 

Pakistan-Turkey cooperation

Earlier, Pakistan and Turkey developed a full-spectrum strategic partnership spanning cooperation in air, naval, and cyber domains. After Ankara was expelled from the US-led F-35 programme, Pakistan and Azerbaijan joined it in the fifth-generation KAAN fighter jet programme. A NATO member state, Turkey signed a $75 million deal to upgrade 41 of Pakistan's F-16 fighter jets. It also supplied advanced targeting pods for Pakistan’s JF-17 jets and an electronic warfare training range.

Turkish drone manufacturer Baykar signed a deal with Pakistan’s National Aerospace Science and Technology Park in 2023 to jointly develop UAVs. Earlier in 2022, it supplied the battle-tested Bayraktar TB-2 drones to Pakistan.

New Islamic unity?

Analysts suggest Ankara is helping Pakistan intending to boost its position in the Organisation Of Islamic Cooperation, or the OIC. The 57-member bloc is dominated by Saudi Arabia and Iran. Turkey wants to bolster its position by claiming that it has supported an Islamic nation. After the rise of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey moved towards radical Islam swiftly. The Turkish president now nurtures the ambition of becoming the head of the Umma, or the Islamic World. The Pahalgam attack has given him this opportunity.