Saudi, Turkey, Pakistan sign ‘Mecca Joint Defense Agreement’

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, right, and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman shake hands during a welcome ceremony in Ankara, Turkey, on Wednesday, June 22, 2022. (AP Photo-Burhan Ozbilici, File)

Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan on Friday signed a defense agreement under which an armed attack on any one of the three countries would be considered an attack on all, officials said.

The “Mecca Joint Defense Agreement” was signed in Mecca during a meeting between Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

 The agreement between the three Sunni Muslim-majority states brings together oil-rich Saudi Arabia and nuclear power Pakistan as well as Turkey, which has NATO’s second-largest army and a rapidly growing defense industry. It would increase cooperation and deterrence at a time of increased regional uncertainty and threats from the war in Iran.

Turkish media reported the agreement could facilitate joint military exercises, training, technology transfers and intelligence sharing.

A Turkish official described it as “purely defensive,” saying it targets no specific country and could be joined by other regional states. The pact does not replace existing bilateral or multilateral agreements.

Defense analyst Abdullah Khan called it a formalization of decades of strategic ties, combining Pakistan’s military expertise, Saudi Arabia’s economic and regional influence, and Turkey’s defense technology.

Sharif arrived Thursday for a three-day visit with a delegation including Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, while Erdogan arrived Friday. The leaders were also expected to discuss easing US-Iran tensions, trade, economic ties and wider security cooperation. – AP/UNB