MECCA — Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey have signed a joint defence agreement that treats an armed attack against any one of the three countries as an attack against all, creating a new framework for collective security cooperation amid heightened regional tensions.
The “Mecca Joint Defence Agreement” was signed on Friday by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, according to the joint statement issued by the three countries. The agreement aims to strengthen collective deterrence and deepen defence cooperation.
The pact does not name a specific adversary. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Saturday that the agreement was not directed against Iran or any other country and described its mutual-defence provision as technically equivalent to NATO’s Article 5.
Fidan said the three countries would determine through consultations the form and extent of assistance required if one member came under attack. He said the agreement would establish a committee of ministers and a general secretariat based in Saudi Arabia, while operational arrangements would be developed at the committee’s first meeting.
The agreement builds on an existing strategic defence relationship between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. The two countries signed a Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement in September 2025, stating that aggression against either country would be regarded as aggression against both. Saudi Arabia's state news agency has reported that Pakistani military forces were deployed to Saudi Arabia in April 2026 under that bilateral agreement.
Pakistan and Turkey have also expanded military cooperation in recent months. Their officials have discussed defence industry collaboration, training, capacity building and military cooperation, while their armed forces have pursued closer interoperability and joint exercises.
Fidan said Turkish President Erdogan wanted the new alliance to expand beyond its three founding members and identified Egypt as a potential participant once technical issues were resolved. He added that the arrangement was not intended to replace existing alliances.
Iran has said it sees no reason to fear the pact. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday that the agreement reflected a greater emphasis by regional countries on relying on their own security capabilities rather than outside powers.
The three countries have not announced a timetable for the agreement’s full operational structure. Fidan said details would be addressed at the first meeting of the planned ministers’ committee.
