Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan sign collective defense agreement
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Mecca Defense Agreement open to joining by other countries in the region (Photo: Saudi Press Agency/Handout via REUTERS)
Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey signed a joint defense agreement in Mecca amid an escalating conflict in the Middle East, Reuters reported on Aug. 7.
In a joint statement, the countries said the Mecca Defense Agreement is intended to strengthen collective deterrence against any aggression. Under the agreement, an armed attack on any of the three countries would be considered an attack on all three.
The statement did not specify the obligations of each party under the agreement. It said only that the pact is intended to strengthen the collective security of the three countries and promote peace, security and stability in the region and beyond.
A Turkish official said the agreement includes a collective defense provision. He said it is strictly defensive in nature and provides for mutual support only for defensive purposes.
The official said the agreement is not directed against any specific country, is open to other countries in the region and does not cancel or replace any existing bilateral or multilateral agreements.
Reuters noted that the three countries are particularly concerned about the increasingly aggressive military policies of Israel and revolutionary Shiite Iran.
Iran and its allies have carried out strikes on Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries and disrupted energy supplies since the war began on Feb. 28. The conflict began with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, marking a sharp escalation after years of instability in the region.
Abdulaziz Sager, chairman of the Saudi-based Gulf Research Center, said the political symbolism of the summit is significant. He said the three most influential powers in the Muslim world are meeting at a time of extraordinary uncertainty, reflecting a growing willingness among regional and middle powers to coordinate more closely on security.
Sager said that if the trilateral framework is institutionalized and translated into concrete cooperation, it could strengthen the countries' diplomatic and defense influence and contribute to the development of a regional security architecture.
Reuters noted that Turkey has NATO's second-largest military. Saudi Arabia is the most powerful Gulf state, is home to Islam's holiest sites and is one of the world's largest oil exporters. Pakistan is the only Muslim-majority country with nuclear weapons.
The agreement followed nearly a year of negotiations.
Middle East war
The Middle East has been embroiled in conflict for nearly three years, beginning with the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Nearly every country in the region has faced cross-border attacks or missile and drone strikes.
Following the Hamas attack, Israel launched its war in Gaza. It has also carried out ground operations in southern Lebanon and Syria, seized territory in Syria and conducted two air campaigns against Iran.
Iran has attacked U.S. military bases and civilian infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Jordan and Israel.
Turkey and Pakistan, which lie on the edges of the Middle East, have largely avoided major direct attacks, but both countries are seeking an end to conflicts that threaten their security and economic well-being.
For Saudi Arabia, the consequences of nearly three years of conflict in the Middle East have been more severe, threatening its oil exports and ambitious development plans while raising questions about the reliability of the long-standing U.S.-backed security architecture.
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