Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Pakistan Sign Joint Defence Pact
Xinhua · 3 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement on Friday in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, to deepen security cooperation among the three regional powers amid rising Middle East tensions . The pact stipulates that an armed attack against any one of the three states shall be regarded as an attack against all . The agreement was inked during a trilateral summit between Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif .
Key Points
- The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement was signed on Friday, August 7, in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, by the three Sunni Muslim-majority nations .
- The pact declares that an armed attack against any one of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia or Türkiye shall be regarded as an attack against all three states .
- Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held a trilateral summit to seal the deal .
- A Turkish official stated the agreement is defensive in nature, not directed against any specific actor, and remains open to other regional countries joining .
- The three nations are particularly alarmed by increasingly aggressive military stances from both Israel and Iran amid struggling US efforts to contain regional upheaval .
Why It Matters
The political symbolism of this trilateral summit is significant, as three of the Muslim world's most influential states are showing growing willingness to coordinate independently on security matters, potentially contributing to a more regionally driven security architecture if institutionalised into concrete cooperation .
The political symbolism of this trilateral summit is significant, as three of the Muslim world's most influential states are showing growing willingness to coordinate independently on security matters, potentially contributing to a more regionally driven security architecture if institutionalised into concrete cooperation .