Post by : Bianca
Haleem
Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkiye have signed a joint defence agreement aimed at strengthening security cooperation as military tensions and conflicts continue across the Middle East.
The agreement, known as the “Mecca Joint Defence Agreement,” was announced in a joint statement published on Friday by the Saudi Press Agency and Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The three countries said the pact reflects their shared commitment to strengthening collective security and supporting peace, security and stability in the region and beyond.
Attack on One Member to Be Treated as Attack on All
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said the agreement establishes that an attack against any one of the three members will be considered an attack against all three.
The ministry described the arrangement as a step designed to strengthen collective deterrence.
The agreement was signed in Mecca after nearly a year of negotiations, adding a symbolic dimension to a deal that builds on the three countries’ existing military relationships.
Pact Signed Amid Rising Regional Tensions
The agreement comes as Saudi Arabia faces heightened security concerns linked to the wider regional conflict.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, accompanied by army chief Asim Munir, arrived in Saudi Arabia on Thursday and performed the Umrah pilgrimage in Mecca.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also travelled to Saudi Arabia on Friday for talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Saudi Arabia has faced repeated attacks from Iran as well as from Tehran’s Houthi allies in Yemen and Shia armed groups in Iraq since the United States and Israel attacked Iran on February 28.
The conflict has affected Saudi Arabia’s oil exports and created uncertainty around its ambitious development plans, while also raising questions about the dependability of its long-standing US security arrangements.
Saudi Arabia Says Pact Is Not Against Any Country
Saudi Arabia’s deputy minister for public diplomacy, Rayed Krimly, said the agreement was not intended to threaten any country in the region.
In a post on X, Krimly said the pact did not represent an effort to establish a military axis or a sectarian or religious bloc.
He also said the agreement was not connected to nuclear ambitions or an arms race, describing its purpose instead as the development of sustainable and self-reliant capabilities.
Erdogan said the agreement was based on collective deterrence. He also said Turkiye would maintain its position of seeking solutions to conflicts and crises through dialogue and diplomacy, based on respect for international law.
Pakistan Calls Pact a Historic Endeavour
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif described the agreement as a “historic endeavour”, saying it serves the interests of the three countries and strengthens regional security and stability.
The pact builds on long-standing defence cooperation between the countries.
Pakistan has provided training and technical assistance to Saudi forces for decades. Pakistan and Turkiye have also cooperated through exchanges involving warships and training aircraft.
In 2023, Saudi Arabia agreed to purchase Turkish drones in what Ankara described at the time as its largest defence export contract.
Iran Responds to New Defence Pact
The agreement has also drawn a response from Iran.
Iranian lawmaker Ebrahim Rezaei warned Saudi Arabia that the agreement with Turkiye and Pakistan would not by itself guarantee regional security.
In a post on X, Rezaei said Saudi Arabia should change its policies rather than depend on other countries for security. He also compared the new arrangement with Riyadh’s previous reliance on the United States.
Three Countries Seek Closer Security Cooperation
The agreement brings together Saudi Arabia’s economic strength with Pakistan’s military capabilities and Turkiye’s defence industry and NATO membership.
Al Jazeera correspondent Osama Bin Javaid, reporting from Doha, described the pact as bringing together three countries with some of the world’s largest Muslim populations and said it could mark the start of a different regional security structure.
He highlighted Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal, military experience and munitions production, alongside Turkiye’s drone and weapons capabilities and Saudi Arabia’s economic power.
Reporting from Ankara, Al Jazeera correspondent Resul Serdar Atas said the agreement is defensive in nature but could also encourage wider cooperation between the three countries.
He said the focus would now be on building trust and noted expectations in Ankara that closer security cooperation could also support stronger economic ties between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkiye.
Experts Highlight Collective Security
Abdulaziz Alghashian, a senior nonresident fellow at the Gulf International Forum, said the tripartite arrangement combines deterrence with diplomacy.
He noted that although the agreement does not identify a specific country as an adversary, it could contribute to efforts aimed at improving regional stability.
Retired Pakistani Major-General Zahid Mahmood similarly described the pact as an effort focused on collective security.
He said cooperation between the three countries could help them address regional challenges together and contribute to greater stability and peace.
What Is the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement?
The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement is a defence pact signed by Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkiye.
Under the agreement, the three countries have committed to strengthening collective security, while Pakistan said an attack on one member would be regarded as an attack on all.
The agreement is intended to strengthen collective deterrence and promote security, peace and stability while remaining defensive in nature.
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