Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan to hold first defence pact meeting

Istanbul will host the inaugural gathering of Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan, under the auspices of the recently signed Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, according to a Turkish foreign ministry representative. The inaugural summit aims to bolster collective defense against any hostile actions and stipulates that an armed assault on one nation would be deemed an attack on all, akin to NATO's Article 5 collective defense provision.

Representatives from the foreign and defense ministries, as well as the chiefs of staff, from the three countries will participate in the meeting. Discussions are anticipated to focus on enhancing military capabilities, improving interoperability among armed forces, and deepening cooperation in the defense industry, including joint production and development endeavors.

The nations' shared apprehensions about the military postures of Israel and revolutionary Shiite Iran, alongside the global energy crisis precipitated by the US-led war against Iran, are expected to dominate the agenda. Despite the US and Israel's six-month-long conflict with Iran, negotiations have stalled, prompting President Donald Trump's administration to intensify financial sanctions on Iran, dubbed as an "economic D-Day."

Turkey, with the second-largest military within NATO, has expressed openness to expanding the pact to include Egypt, should it align with their interests, and has explicitly stated that the agreement does not intend to supplant existing alliances.