Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan hold first committee meeting under defence pact
Turkish, Saudi Arabian and Pakistani officials met in Istanbul on Monday for a first committee meeting under the joint defence accord they recently signed. The meeting was attended by the foreign and defence ministers, as well as senior army officials, from the three countries. The allies of the US signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement on August 7 to deepen military and defence co-operation.…
In Istanbul on Monday, officials from Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan gathered for the maiden committee meeting under their recently signed joint defence pact. The gathering included the foreign and defence ministers, along with high-ranking army officials from the three nations. The allies of the United States inked the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement on August 7, aiming to bolster military and defence cooperation.
The pact stipulates that an armed assault on any member nation is deemed an attack on all, akin to the collective defence clause in NATO. Subsequently, the countries unveiled plans to set up political and military mechanisms to synchronize their defence and security policies as per the accord. Prince Khaled bin Salman, the Saudi Defence Minister, affirmed during the Istanbul meeting Turkey's dedication to progressing with the agreement's various components, enhancing joint political and defence integration and bolstering security and stability.
The accord was signed amid the ongoing Iran war in the Middle East, which has witnessed occasional Iranian missile strikes on Gulf states, escalating security concerns among regional powers. On Monday, the United Arab Emirates vehemently denounced an Iranian attack on its territory, deeming it a "dangerous escalation" and a "direct threat" to the safety of citizens and residents.
This followed Jordan's interception of eight missiles, following Iran's claim that it targeted US bases in the kingdom in response to American strikes overnight on Larak Island near the Strait of Hormuz. Hakan Fidan, Turkey's Foreign Minister, revealed after the Istanbul meeting that a roadmap is being crafted for extending the joint pact to other countries.
Earlier this month, Egypt expressed the need to "carefully" evaluate legal and constitutional matters before determining its participation in the defence pact.
Written by urgent.news from The National UAE's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
