Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan Unite Under Mecca Defense Pact
Top officials from Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan gathered in Istanbul for the inaugural meeting of the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement. The pact was signed on August 7 by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar stated that six to seven Muslim-majority countries have expressed interest in joining the defense pact. Bangladesh has shown openness to joining, while Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan mentioned the possibility of expanding the pact to include other regional states like Egypt.
The agreement stipulates that an armed attack against any of the three countries will be considered an attack against all, similar to NATO's Article 5 collective defense clause. This comes amid ongoing tensions in the region, including Iran's war and missile fire on Gulf oil exporters.