Why Egypt held back from joining Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan's defence pact
Why Egypt held back from joining Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan's defence pact Submitted by Ragip Soylu on Mon, 08/10/2026 - 15:21 Despite sustained Turkish efforts, Cairo declined to join as it sought to balance its security ties with Israel and the UAE Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi greets India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi next to Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan before a…
Egypt opted against joining a defense pact alongside Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan, despite Turkish officials' persistent efforts to include the country. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's secret trip to the Middle East to sign the agreement hinted at the secretive nature of Turkey's intentions. The pact, similar to NATO's Article 5, aims to provide collective defense for its members.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan expressed optimism about Egypt's eventual inclusion, stating that technical issues must be resolved before the country could join. However, Egypt's decision to abstain from the pact is primarily attributed to its sensitive relationship with Israel, a US ally. Cairo's strategic interests lie in maintaining a balance between its ties with Israel, the UAE, and India, while also deepening economic relations with India and seeking financial assistance from Abu Dhabi.
Written by urgent.news from Middle East Eye's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
Also reported by 4 other outlets
- Zelenskiy says he discussed defence, food security with Saudi crown prince brecorder.com
- Zelenskiy says he discussed defence, food security with Saudi crown prince al-monitor.com
- Why Egypt held back from joining Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan's defence pact middleeasteye.net
- Zelensky says he discussed defence, food security with Saudi crown prince freemalaysiatoday.com
