Makkah defence pact may expand as Egypt emerges as potential member
Egypt could become the next member of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye, as Ankara signals plans to expand the alliance across the region. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the agreement follows a mutual defence principle similar to NATO’s Article 5. He stressed that the pact does not target […]
The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Türkiye, establishes a collective defence principle where an armed attack on one member is treated as an attack on all. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stated that Egypt could join the pact once several technical issues are resolved. According to Fidan, Egypt is considered a "natural partner" on regional issues.
Fidan explained that the agreement is similar to NATO's Article 5 mutual defence agreement, which obliges allies to take action to assist a country under attack. The Makkah defence pact stipulates general commitments, with practical implementation depending on discussions and decisions by relevant bodies. A country would need to make a request for assistance.
The agreement aims to strengthen collective deterrence in the region. Fidan said there is no common threat specified in the pact and that it does not target a specific country. The alliance will have a Saudi-based secretariat. According to the Daily Times, Fidan mentioned that the pact could expand to include other regional countries, with Egypt emerging as a potential member.
Brief written by urgent.news from Daily Times, Dawn, Free Malaysia Today, Haaretz — 4 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
This story
This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.
- Makkah defence pact may expand as Egypt emerges as potential member dailytimes.com.pk
