Agencies | Macca:
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye on Friday signed a landmark trilateral defence pact under which any armed attack against one of the three countries will be regarded as an attack against all, marking a significant step towards strengthening collective security in the region.
The agreement, titled the ‘Makkah Joint Defence Agreement’, was signed in Mecca by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Pakistan’s Foreign Office said.
The pact was signed during the Makkah Al-Mukarramah Summit for Joint Defence and is aimed at enhancing collective deterrence against external aggression.
According to the Foreign Office, the agreement stipulates that “any armed attack against any one of the three States shall be regarded as an attack against them all,” underscoring the countries’ commitment to mutual defence and regional security cooperation.
According to Reuters, the agreement follows nearly a year of negotiations and comes at a time of heightened security concerns across the Middle East following the regional conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States.
The news agency reported that the pact is expected to deepen strategic cooperation among the three Muslim-majority nations, all of which maintain close relations with the United States. However, the precise military and operational commitments under the agreement have not been made public.
The three countries share growing concerns over regional instability, including Iran’s influence, Israel’s expanding military operations and the broader security implications of recent conflicts. The disruption of commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz—one of the world’s most critical energy trade routes—has further highlighted the need for closer regional security coordination.
The partnership also brings together three strategically significant nations. Türkiye possesses NATO’s second-largest military, Saudi Arabia is the world’s leading oil exporter and custodian of Islam’s holiest sites, while Pakistan is the only Muslim-majority country with declared nuclear weapons capability.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, accompanied by Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, arrived in Jeddah on Thursday and performed Umrah before attending the summit. President Erdoğan travelled to Saudi Arabia on Friday to participate in the meeting and the signing ceremony.
