Turkish Foreign Minister: Defense Agreement with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan Technically Mirrors Article 5 of the NATO Charter on Collective Defense

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stated that the defense agreement with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan (the Mecca Agreement) is technically equivalent to Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Charter on collective defense. Fidan added in press remarks: “The safety of navigation in the Red Sea affects our interests, and therefore Turkey must be part of the Saudi-led international coalition.” He clarified that Egypt could join the mutual defense agreement once certain technical issues are resolved, noting that there would be a ministerial committee within the framework of the agreement, similar to NATO, alongside a general secretariat. The Turkish Foreign Minister emphasized that this defense pact is not aimed at anyone, provided that no member state is attacked.