Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan have entered into a new defence agreement that commits the three countries to regard an armed attack against one member as an attack against all three.
The agreement was signed on Friday during a high-level summit in Mecca attended by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The pact comes at a time of heightened military tensions across the Middle East, following a series of conflicts involving Iran, Israel and the United States. Iran had launched attacks against several countries in the region, including Saudi Arabia, after the US and Israel carried out military strikes against the Islamic Republic.
Known as the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, the pact is intended to improve military coordination and strengthen the collective ability of the three countries to deter external aggression.
A joint statement issued after the meeting said the agreement would strengthen “collective deterrence against any act of aggression” and provide for increased defence cooperation among Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan.
Reports indicate that the agreement does not establish clearly defined military obligations for the three countries. However, it includes commitments to provide mutual military support when necessary.
A Turkish official cited by Reuters described the arrangement as “purely defensive in nature”.
The latest agreement follows a similar defence pact signed by Saudi Arabia and Pakistan last year. That deal attracted criticism from India, which has maintained longstanding tensions with Pakistan.
Reacting to the earlier agreement, former Indian Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal warned that Pakistan’s role as a security partner could have serious implications for India-Saudi relations.
He argued that, given the strained relationship between India and Pakistan, Riyadh’s decision could be interpreted by New Delhi as a potential security threat.
The new three-way pact further expands defence ties between the three predominantly Sunni Muslim nations as regional security concerns continue to grow.