US welcome to activation of 'Middle East NATO'
Washington, Agencies: Prominent Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives Joe Wilson affirmed that the “Mecca Pact” for joint defense, signed between Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan, has the potential to become the “NATO of the Middle East.” In a post on the X platform, he stated, “I express my gratitude to our allies Turkey, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia for activating the alliance in response to the Iranian-backed aggression by the Houthis.”
For his part, Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, in a post on X, said, “The emergency meeting of the Mecca Defense Pact’s Political and Defense Strategic Committee confirms the solidarity and unity of our nations in confronting the heinous attacks that targeted the Kingdom and the Holy Sites, and in activating collective deterrence against these attacks and those behind them within the framework of the Mecca Defense Pact.”
The Mecca Defense Pact decided on Monday evening to immediately move to the practical implementation of its joint defense commitments. This decision came during an emergency meeting of the Pact’s Political and Defense Strategic Committee, held in Riyadh by Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey, to discuss security developments and threats facing the Kingdom.
A joint statement issued by the Saudi Ministry of Defense noted that the committee decided to immediately transition to the practical implementation of joint defense obligations and to take necessary measures to provide the agreed-upon forces and military capabilities, and to rapidly deploy them in the Kingdom in accordance with approved arrangements and the national legislation of the member states, thereby enhancing readiness, military integration, and collective capacity to confront and counter threats.
It further added that, as part of the institutional building of the Mecca Defense Pact, the committee appointed retired Lieutenant General Noman Mahmood of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan as the first Secretary-General for a term of three years.
The member states strongly condemned the attempt to target Mecca and Medina, as well as the continued attacks targeting cities and civilian and economic facilities in the Kingdom. They reaffirmed their firm rejection of any aggression or threat to the security and territorial integrity of the Kingdom.
Pakistan and Turkey praised the vigilance and readiness of the Saudi armed forces, as well as the professional performance and high competence demonstrated in confronting the threats and attacks facing the Kingdom and protecting its security and territorial integrity.
According to the statement, the committee reviewed the results of the political and military consultations that preceded the meeting and approved the recommendations submitted to it, affirming that the Mecca Defense Pact embodies a firm commitment to joint defense and a unified stance in the face of threats.
The member states confirmed that the security of each member state is an integral part of the collective security of the three countries, and that translating the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement into practical measures demonstrates credibility in the commitment to joint defense, enhances the effectiveness of deterrence, and underscores the unity of the three countries and their resolve to defend their security, sovereignty, and territorial integrity in accordance with the provisions of the agreement.
For his part, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stated that the Riyadh meeting discussed in detail the type of defensive support that could be provided to Saudi Arabia. This was said in a statement to the Anadolu Agency (AA) after the meeting, noting that the meeting had been scheduled but was held urgently due to current developments. He indicated that significant work had been accomplished, particularly regarding the institutionalization of the Mecca Defense Pact agreement.
Fidan added, “We have reached the final stages of this work. Among the topics we discussed today, of course, were issues related to institutionalization. These included the structure of the Secretariat General and the appointment and approval of the new Secretary-General, and we finalized the proposal submitted by Pakistan.”
He clarified that, in addition to the aforementioned points, “some technical details were discussed. However, regarding the Yemeni issue, we discussed in detail the type of support that could be provided for Saudi defense, and what could be done to resolve the problem peacefully through dialogue. Saudi Arabia adopts a highly constructive approach to resolving this issue, and we had the opportunity to listen to them again, exchanging some of our views.”
