MECCA — Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, attended the ceremony surrounding the signing of a new joint defense agreement between Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan, as the three countries formalized a commitment to treat an armed attack on any one of them as an attack on all three, officials said.
The so-called Mecca Joint Defense Agreement was signed on Friday in the Saudi holy city by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, according to statements from the three governments.
Munir was not among the three signatories, but Sharif publicly credited the Pakistani military chief with contributing significantly to the agreement through what the prime minister described as “untiring efforts and utmost dedication.”
The agreement calls for stronger defense cooperation and collective deterrence among the three states. Their governments said it was intended to strengthen cooperation against aggression while expanding collaboration in defense-related areas.
Saudi Arabia said the agreement did not represent the creation of a military axis or a sectarian bloc, and was not linked to nuclear ambitions or an arms race. Riyadh also said the arrangement would not come at the expense of its existing regional and international partnerships.
Erdogan said the agreement was based on collective deterrence and would support joint defense-industry projects and efforts to combat terrorism. A Turkish government official described the pact as defensive and said it was not directed against any particular country.
The agreement comes as the Middle East faces heightened security tensions linked to the war involving Iran and continuing regional conflicts. Saudi Arabia has sought to broaden its defense relationships, while Pakistan and Turkey have maintained longstanding military ties with Riyadh.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia already have a bilateral Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement, signed in September 2025, under which an armed attack on either country is treated as an attack on both. Munir played a prominent role in developing that relationship and has held senior-level defense discussions with Saudi and Turkish officials.
Iranian parliament member Ebrahim Rezaei criticized the new agreement, saying it would not provide Saudi Arabia with security. The Iranian comments represented a political reaction to the pact and did not alter the terms announced by the three signatories.
The governments of Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan said the new agreement was intended to deepen defense cooperation and strengthen deterrence while supporting regional stability.
