Turkish Foreign Minister: Egypt may join the Mecca Defense Agreement once technical issues are resolved - Sarmad
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Saturday that the Mecca Agreement for Joint Defense is technically equivalent to the collective defense principle enshrined in Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) charter, emphasizing that the agreement does not target Iran or any other country.
Article 5 of the NATO treaty establishes the principle of collective defense, stating that “the Parties agree that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all.”
Fidan clarified that the agreement, signed by Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan, includes the formation of a ministerial committee similar to operational mechanisms within NATO, along with a secretariat general to coordinate the agreement’s work and implement its mechanisms. He revealed that Egypt could join the defensive pact once certain technical issues are resolved.
The Turkish Foreign Minister stressed that the agreement does not target Iran, affirming that no country would be a target of the pact “as long as it does not attack member states.”
Regarding the Red Sea, Fidan stated that the safety of navigation concerns Turkish interests, emphasizing that Turkey must be part of the international coalition led by Saudi Arabia as part of efforts to protect navigation and secure maritime routes.
The Mecca Agreement for Joint Defense was signed in Mecca on Friday by Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan, a move aimed at enhancing defense cooperation and consolidating a collective deterrence system, thereby supporting security and stability at both the regional and international levels.
The signing took place during the Mecca Summit for Joint Defense, which brought together Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The leaders reviewed the distinguished relations among the three countries and discussed several regional and international issues of common interest.
The Mecca Agreement for Joint Defense stipulates that any armed attack targeting one of the three countries constitutes an attack on all signatory states, thereby strengthening the principle of collective deterrence and affirming their shared commitment to confronting any threats to their security and sovereignty.
The agreement also aims to develop various aspects of defense and military cooperation, enhance coordination among the three countries, raise readiness levels, and strengthen their capacity to address shared security challenges.
The agreement comes within the framework of Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan’s efforts to deepen their strategic partnership, enhance political and defense coordination, serve common interests, and support regional and international security amid rapid changes.
