Pak-Saudi-Turkiye defence pact open to any other country in region, 'purely defensive': DPM Dar

The Foreign Minister of Turkey has clarified that the defense pact signed between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey remains an open invitation to any country in the region seeking to uphold its defensive principles. Turkish Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stated that the agreement is purely defensive in nature, drawing parallels to NATO's Article 5 mutual defense pact.

Egypt's potential inclusion in the pact is under consideration, pending the resolution of technical issues. The pact aims to strengthen collective deterrence and obligates its members to consider an attack against one as an attack against all. The core founding countries—Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan—would establish the principles, standards, and long-term structure, while other countries could join with the approval of these core members.

The alliance's operation would be governed by a political and military committee comprising foreign and defense ministers and chiefs of general staff, similar to NATO structures. The committee would be responsible for translating the vision into decisions and implementing related work, while a secretariat based in Saudi Arabia would carry out the day-to-day operations.

Joint military exercises, intelligence sharing, and industry cooperation would be key components of the pact's functioning.