Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan embrace collective deterrence while keeping pact open to other friendly nations
ANKARA: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday that the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement signed by Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan does not target any country and remains open to other friendly nations seeking regional peace, prosperity and stability.
In a post on Turkish social platform NSosyal, Erdogan said the agreement rests on collective deterrence and will deepen security cooperation, defence industry collaboration, military coordination and counterterrorism efforts among the three countries.
Moreover, he said the pact reaffirms the participating states’ right to self-defence under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter.
Armed attack on one considered attack on all
Turkish officials said the defence-oriented agreement seeks to strengthen collective deterrence against aggression while promoting regional and international stability through burden-sharing and a common security approach.
Under the arrangement, an armed attack against any one of the three participating countries will be considered an attack against all three.
Furthermore, officials said the agreement represents the outcome of long-term diplomatic efforts to establish a common framework for confronting emerging regional and international security threats.
The pact also provides for stronger military interoperability and expanded cooperation between the defence industries of Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.
Erdogan stresses dialogue and regional ownership
Erdogan travelled to Mecca earlier on Friday at the invitation of Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman. There, he met the Saudi leader and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif before the three countries signed the agreement.
Meanwhile, Erdogan stressed that Türkiye would continue supporting dialogue and diplomacy as the preferred means of resolving regional conflicts and crises.
He said Ankara would maintain its approach based on international law and the principle of regional ownership.
Erdogan also expressed hope that the consultations and agreement would benefit the wider region.
Turkish officials emphasized that the pact remains defensive rather than directed against a particular state, while allowing other friendly countries committed to regional peace and stability to participate.
