Erdogan wants Turkey-Saudi Arabia-Pakistan defence pact to draw more countries

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed optimism on Wednesday that additional nations would join the defense pact signed last week by Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan, aimed at stabilizing a conflict-ridden region. The so-called Mecca Joint Defence Agreement was finalized on Friday amidst turmoil in the Middle East following the US-Iran war, which has entangled regional actors and disrupted maritime routes through the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea.

Erdogan clarified that the vision for the pact extends beyond the initial three signatories, envisioning a scenario where "appropriate conditions will emerge one day for all countries of the region to gather under its umbrella." Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan confirmed on Saturday that Turkey anticipated Egypt's involvement in the pact "in the next stage," although only minor technical hurdles remain.

Despite strong military ties between Egypt and Turkey, Cairo has not publicly endorsed the new security alliance, which includes a NATO-style provision stating that any attack on a member state would be considered an attack on all.

The five-month conflict between the United States and Iran has fundamentally reshaped the regional security landscape, compelling a reassessment of longstanding assumptions predicated on American military supremacy. Erdogan emphasized that the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement emerged from the "new circumstances" in the Middle East, with regional players increasingly assuming a greater role in safeguarding their own security and stability.

"Regional issues should be resolved by regional actors," he stated, adding that this initiative represents a crucial first step towards achieving that objective. "Resolving regional issues must be carried out away from formulas imposed from the outside. We know very well that solutions imported from abroad only bring disasters," he warned the Saudi-owned newspaper.

The pact aims to strengthen security cooperation between the three signatories and pave the way for "developing joint projects in the defence industries," per Erdogan. In the wake of the ongoing war, Saudi Arabia has forged a closer relationship with Turkey, previously characterized by strained relations. Erdogan highlighted the potential for "taking steps that will elevate relations between the two countries to much higher levels," though no further details were provided.