Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan to Hold First Meeting Under Joint Defence Pact
Senior officials from Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are set to meet in Istanbul on Monday for the first committee meeting under a joint defence agreement signed earlier this month, a Turkish foreign ministry source said.
The three countries signed the “Mecca Joint Defence Agreement” on August 7 in Mecca, bringing together three Sunni Muslim-majority states that are concerned about growing regional tensions amid the war involving Iran.
The agreement aims to strengthen collective deterrence against potential aggression. Under the pact, an armed attack against any one of the three countries would be considered an attack against all three, in a provision similar to NATO’s Article 5 collective defence principle.
Foreign and defence ministers, along with military chiefs of staff from the three countries, are expected to attend Monday’s meeting.
“International security issues will be on the agenda,” the Turkish foreign ministry source said.
Discussions are expected to focus on strengthening defence capabilities, improving coordination and interoperability among the three countries’ armed forces, and expanding cooperation in the defence industry. Joint production and development of defence equipment are also expected to be discussed.
The agreement comes as the Middle East faces heightened tensions amid the ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran. Iranian missile attacks have targeted several Gulf countries, raising concerns over regional security and energy supplies.
Turkey, which has NATO’s second-largest military, has said the defence pact is not intended to replace existing alliances. Ankara has also indicated that the agreement could be expanded in the future, with Egypt mentioned as a possible additional member.
The pact brings together Turkey, nuclear-armed Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, one of the world’s leading oil exporters, at a time when regional security concerns have intensified.
The three countries are expected to use the Istanbul meeting to discuss how the agreement can be implemented and how their defence cooperation can be expanded in response to the changing security environment.
