Turkey, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia defence pact technically same as NATO's Article 5, Turkish minister says

ANKARA, Aug 8 (Reuters) - A defence pact signed between Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia is technically the same as NATO's Article 5 mutual defence agreement, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Saturday, adding the accord was not targeting Iran. Fidan also said Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan wanted to see the alliance expand, and that Egypt was a potential candidate to join, among…

al-monitor.com ·4d ago

Turkey, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia have signed a defence pact that mirrors NATO's Article 5 mutual defence agreement. According to Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, the pact is technically equivalent to Article 5, which stipulates that an attack on one member is considered an attack on all. The agreement establishes a ministerial committee and a general secretariat based in Saudi Arabia.

The pact does not target Iran, Fidan said, and the three countries aim to strengthen collective deterrence against any act of aggression. Egypt could potentially join the alliance once technical issues are resolved, Fidan added. The agreement was signed on Friday, with the three countries stating that an attack on one of them would be regarded as an attack on all.

The defence pact brings together three significant military powers: Turkey has the second-largest military in NATO, Pakistan is a nuclear-armed nation, and Saudi Arabia is a major player in the Gulf region. The agreement is seen as a way to enhance defence cooperation and provide a united front against potential threats.

Brief written by urgent.news from Al-Monitor, Middle East Eye, CBS News, France 24, Egypt Independent — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.