Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey have signed a mutual defense agreement
On August 7, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey signed a mutual defense agreement in Mecca. The agreement stipulates that an armed attack on any one of the three states will be considered an attack on all three countries.
The document, dubbed the “Mecca Mutual Defense Agreement,” was signed by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. According to France 24, the agreement is intended to strengthen collective deterrence against any acts of aggression.
At the same time, the joint statement did not disclose details of the commitments undertaken by the parties. It also remains unclear to what extent the agreement will oblige the countries to take specific military actions to defend one another.
Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz stated that the agreement is not directed against any specific country. The Turkish official, quoted by France 24, emphasized that the pact is purely defensive in nature and does not nullify the states’ existing agreements with other countries.
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Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Minister of Public Diplomacy, Raid Krimli, stated that the agreement is not an attempt to create a military alliance or a religious bloc. According to him, it is also not linked to nuclear ambitions or an arms race.
The pact was concluded after nearly a year of negotiations. For decades, Pakistan has provided training and technical assistance to Saudi forces, while Turkey and Pakistan have exchanged military ships and training aircraft. Saudi Arabia is a major buyer of Turkish drones.
France 24 also reports that Pakistan has deployed approximately 8,000 troops, fighter jets, drones, and an air defense system to the kingdom. Pakistan and Turkey have supported the maritime defense coalition that Saudi Arabia announced to protect regional shipping and energy routes.
