Turkey’s Foreign Minister emphasized that the recent defense pact among Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey is not aimed at Iran or any specific country. Instead, the agreement seeks to enhance regional stability.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif signed the pact in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The agreement declares that an attack on one nation will be perceived as an attack on all three.
The Mecca Joint Defense Agreement unites three significant powers. Saudi Arabia is known for its oil wealth, Pakistan for its nuclear capabilities, and Turkey for having NATO’s second-largest army and a growing defense industry. This union is designed to bolster cooperation and deterrence amid increasing regional tensions, particularly involving Iran.
In an interview with Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stated that the pact does not identify any country as an adversary unless aggressive actions are taken against any of the signatories. Fidan clarified, We don’t have anything written down — nothing we’ve signed — that defines a common threat.
Any nation refraining from hostile actions will not be a target under this agreement.
Fidan compared the pact’s mutual defense clause to NATO’s Article 5, where an attack on one is seen as an attack on all. When questioned on how the mechanism would operate, he explained that a member facing a threat must formally request assistance. The response could involve intelligence sharing, logistical aid, or military deployment, depending on the threat’s scale.
The minister mentioned that other countries have shown interest in joining the pact. He particularly noted that Egypt, described as a natural partner,
may join in the next stage.
The agreement also calls for regular committee meetings among the foreign and defense ministers and military chiefs of the three countries. A secretariat will be established in Saudi Arabia to facilitate these engagements.