S.Arabia, Pakistan, Turkiye sign joint defence pact

MAKKAH: Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkiye have signed a landmark joint defence agreement following a trilateral summit held in Makkah, according to Pakistan’s Foreign Office.

The high-level meeting took place at Al Safa Palace and was attended by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The summit was convened at the invitation of the Saudi Crown Prince.

According to the Foreign Office spokesperson, the three leaders reviewed bilateral and trilateral relations, regional developments and issues of mutual interest.

They also reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the historic, brotherly ties and Islamic solidarity among their countries.

The spokesperson said the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement reflects the three nations’ shared commitment to collective defence and security. The pact aims to enhance collective security, deepen long-standing defence cooperation and contribute to regional peace and stability.

Under the agreement, an armed attack against any one of the three countries will be regarded as an attack against all three, with the signatories committing to strengthen their collective defence capabilities against any act of aggression.

The agreement also provides for expanding cooperation across all areas of defence, including strategic coordination and security collaboration.

The Foreign Office described the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement as a major step forward in safeguarding the common defence and security interests of Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkiye, while reflecting their shared vision for a secure, stable and prosperous future.

Reuters added:

Iran and its allies have been firing ‌on Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states, and blockading their energy shipments, since the U.S. and Israel attacked it on February 28 in a major escalation of years of regional tumult.

The agreement is intended to strengthen collective deterrence against any act of aggression and stipulates that an armed attack against any of the three would be regarded as an attack on all, they said in a joint statement.

While the statement did not give specifics on the commitments or obligations each had accepted under what it called the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, it said the pact was aimed at strengthening their collective security and promoting peace, security and stability in the region and beyond.

A Turkish official said the agreement was defensive in nature, was not directed against any specific actor, was open to other regional countries, and did not abrogate or ⁠replace any existing bilateral or multilateral arrangements.

However, the three nations are particularly concerned by the increasingly aggressive military stances of both Israel and revolutionary Shi’ite Iran even as their longtime U.S. ally struggles to contain regional upheaval.