Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan on Friday signed a landmark defense agreement under which any armed attack against one of the three countries will be treated as an attack against all, officials said.
The “Mecca Joint Defense Agreement” was signed in Mecca during a trilateral meeting involving Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, reports AP.
The pact brings together three influential Sunni Muslim-majority nations – oil-rich Saudi Arabia, nuclear-armed Pakistan and Türkiye, which has NATO’s second-largest military and a growing defense industry.
The agreement is expected to strengthen security cooperation and enhance deterrence amid rising regional uncertainty and tensions linked to the Iran conflict.
According to Turkish media reports, the agreement may pave the way for greater collaboration in areas such as joint military exercises, defense training, technology transfers and intelligence sharing.
A Turkish official described the agreement as “purely defensive,” stressing that it is not directed against any particular country.
The official said other regional countries could potentially join the framework, while clarifying that the pact does not replace existing bilateral or multilateral defense arrangements.
Defense analyst Abdullah Khan said the agreement formalises decades of strategic cooperation among the three countries, combining Pakistan’s military capabilities, Saudi Arabia’s economic and regional influence, and Türkiye’s defense technology expertise.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Saudi Arabia on Thursday for a three-day visit accompanied by a delegation that included Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived on Friday for the meeting.
The leaders were also expected to discuss broader regional and international issues, including efforts to ease tensions between the United States and Iran, along with trade, economic relations and expanded security cooperation.
