Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan sign joint defense agreement at Mecca summit

Agreement says an armed attack against any of the three countries will be considered an attack against all as leaders pledge to deepen defense cooperation and strengthen collective security

Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed a joint defense agreement at a trilateral summit in Mecca on Friday, pledging to strengthen collective security, deepen defense cooperation and promote peace and stability in the region and beyond. The Mecca Joint Defense Agreement was signed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during the summit held at Al-Safa Palace. According to a statement by Türkiye's Communications Directorate, the agreement reflects the three countries' shared commitment to reinforcing their collective security, building on longstanding historical ties, Islamic solidarity, common strategic interests and close defense cooperation. The agreement aims to strengthen collective deterrence against any act of aggression and stipulates that an armed attack against any one of the three countries shall be regarded as an attack against them all. It also provides for the enhancement of defense cooperation across all areas among the three countries. King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud hosted Erdogan and Sharif in Saudi Arabia for the summit.