KABUL (Pajhwok): Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye signed a joint defence agreement in Mecca on Friday, pledging to strengthen collective deterrence and regard an armed attack against any one of the three countries as an attack against all.
The agreement was signed amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, with Iran and its allies carrying out attacks on Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states following US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28.
The “Mecca Joint Defence Agreement” aims to strengthen collective deterrence against acts of aggression, according to a joint statement issued by the three countries, Reuters reported.
However, the statement did not specify the military commitments undertaken by each country, leaving unclear what actions the parties would be required to take if one of them came under attack.
Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz said the agreement was not directed against any particular country.
A Turkish official said the accord was defensive in nature and did not replace or cancel existing defence agreements with other countries.
The three countries have expressed concerns over growing regional tensions and the military policies of Israel and Iran, as instability in the Middle East continues to threaten regional security and energy supplies.
“Three of the Muslim world’s most influential states are convening at a moment of heightened uncertainty, demonstrating a growing willingness among regional and middle powers to coordinate more closely on security matters,” Abdulaziz Sager, chairman of the Saudi-based Gulf Research Center, said.
“The trilateral framework could strengthen the three countries’ collective diplomatic and defence weight while contributing to the emergence of a more regionally driven security architecture,” he added.
Türkiye has NATO’s second-largest military, while Saudi Arabia is one of the world’s largest oil exporters and hosts Islam’s two holiest sites. Pakistan is the only nuclear-armed Muslim-majority country.
Rayed Krimly, Saudi deputy minister for public diplomacy, said on social media that the agreement was not intended to create a military alliance or a sectarian bloc.
“Nor is it linked to any nuclear ambitions or arms race,” he said.
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