Turkish, Saudi, Pakistani Leaders to Ink Joint Defense Pact Amid Regional Turmoil

Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan are set to sign a joint defense agreement in Mecca on Friday amid regional turmoil. The pact will further cement a growing alliance between major Sunni Muslim powers allied with the United States.

The three nations share concerns over Middle East chaos and the role of revolutionary Shi'ite Iran and an increasingly assertive Israel, as the US struggles to contain regional threats.

Turkey has NATO's second-largest military, while Saudi Arabia is home to Islam's holiest sites and one of the world's top oil exporters. Pakistan is the only nuclear-armed Muslim country.