Turkey open to Egypt joining the Mecca defense pact

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has indicated that Egypt could potentially join the newly established "Mecca Defense Agreement," a mutual defense pact signed last Friday. In an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera, Erdogan described the possible inclusion of Cairo as an option for the future expansion of the agreement, which remains open to new members. The original pact was signed in the holy city of Mecca by Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

The agreement functions as a system of collective deterrence, requiring all signatories to provide a coordinated response if any member state faces an external armed attack. Analysts have likened this commitment to Article 5 of the NATO treaty. During the same interview, the Turkish president also addressed military and geopolitical concerns, mentioning his expectation that a prior promise from Donald Trump regarding the delivery of F-35 fighter jets will be fulfilled. Furthermore, Erdogan clarified that Turkey no longer views European Union accession as a primary priority for Ankara.