Turkish Foreign Minister: Other Countries May Join the Mecca Agreement

Istanbul, Aug 8 (KUNA) -- Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan predicted on Saturday that other countries would join the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement signed by Turkey yesterday with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. Speaking on regional issues during his participation in Anadolu Agency’s “Editors’ Table” platform, Fidan noted that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s vision aims to expand the agreement beyond the three signatory states, potentially encompassing all countries in the region. He clarified that the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement is technically equivalent to Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) treaty concerning collective defense, while noting that it does not specify any particular “common threat.” Fidan stated, “No country that does not attack us is considered a target under the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement,” affirming that the three signatory nations—Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey—are not expansionist. He revealed that the agreement would include military exercises and training sessions, emphasizing that such activities are inherent to the nature of joint military alliances, as operational compatibility and the ability to act in unison cannot be demonstrated without them. He expressed his belief that Egypt would also become part of the agreement in the near future. (End) T.A. / R.J.