Islamabad, Aug 7: Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey on Friday signed the “Mecca Joint Defence Agreement”, a trilateral security pact aimed at strengthening military cooperation and collective deterrence as tensions continue to mount across the Middle East.
Announcing the agreement, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said the pact commits the three countries to treat any armed attack on one member as an attack on all, while expanding cooperation across multiple areas of defence.
“The Agreement is intended to strengthen collective deterrence against any act of aggression, and stipulates that any armed attack against any one of the three States shall be regarded as an attack against them all. It further provides for the enhancement of all aspects of defence cooperation among the three States,” the ministry said.
The agreement comes against the backdrop of persistent regional conflicts, cross-border attacks, missile strikes and drone warfare that have heightened security concerns across West Asia.
The three countries already maintain close defence ties. Pakistan has provided military training and technical support to Saudi Arabia for decades, while Ankara and Islamabad have expanded cooperation through defence exchanges, including naval platforms and training aircraft.
In 2023, Saudi Arabia signed its largest-ever defence export deal with Turkey for the purchase of Turkish drones, further deepening military ties between the two countries.
Saudi Arabia remains the Gulf’s largest military power and a key global oil producer, Turkey possesses NATO’s second-largest armed forces and a rapidly expanding defence industry, while Pakistan is the world’s only nuclear-armed Muslim-majority nation.
The new pact is expected to enhance strategic coordination among the three countries as they seek to bolster regional security and strengthen defence collaboration in the face of evolving geopolitical challenges.
