Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said Egypt could join the new defence pact signed last week by Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, describing Cairo’s accession as “possible” and stressing that the agreement is open to further members.
Speaking to Al Jazeera in an exclusive interview for Al Muqabala (The Interview), airing Sunday evening on Al Jazeera Arabic, Erdogan said the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement commits signatories to act collectively if any one of them comes under external attack.
“This agreement has sent an important message to the world,” he said, adding that Egypt’s participation was among the options for future expansion.
The pact, also known as the Mecca Defence Pact, was signed in the holy city last Friday by Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
It stipulates that an armed attack against one of the three would be treated as an attack against all, a collective‑deterrence clause analysts have compared to NATO’s Article 5.
Officials in Islamabad, however, cautioned against interpreting it as a NATO equivalent or as being directed at any single country.
Erdogan also addressed regional flashpoints, including the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and wars in Syria, Gaza and Lebanon. He said reopening the strait was a priority for Ankara and credited Qatar with playing a key role in mediation efforts.
On Syria, Erdogan pledged Turkiye would not leave its neighbours to face turmoil alone, noting plans to visit the country and stressing that Syria’s Kurds would have “a share of peace and stability.” He said Turkiye would continue strengthening ties with Kurdish communities and safeguarding their rights.
Regarding Gaza, Erdogan said Turkiye “cannot leave Gaza alone” and would do whatever was necessary to support it, praising Hamas for meeting commitments “in good faith” while accusing Israel of continuing its war.
Turning to Lebanon, he said Israeli attacks were a source of serious concern for Ankara and revealed he had raised the need to end the war with US President Donald Trump during Trump’s recent visit to Turkiye, stressing Washington’s role in halting the fighting.
Erdogan also highlighted Turkiye’s support for Sudan, describing relations with Sovereignty Council head Abdel Fattah al‑Burhan as good, and said ties with Libya remained stable.
On Europe, Erdogan said EU membership was no longer a priority for Ankara, arguing that Europe would be “the loser” as a result of its reluctance to admit Turkiye.
He further disclosed that Trump had promised to resolve the dispute over F‑35 fighter jets. Turkiye was removed from the programme in 2019 after acquiring Russia’s S‑400 air defence system, prompting US sanctions under CAATSA.
Standing beside Erdogan at last month’s NATO summit in Ankara, Trump said his administration would lift the sanctions and consider Turkiye’s return to the programme.
Any sale, however, still faces resistance in Congress, where a 2020 law bars transfers of F‑35s to Turkiye as long as it retains the S‑400 system.
