Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan convene for first Mecca Defense Pact meeting

On August 31, 2026, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan held their first high-level meeting in Istanbul to establish a Strategic Policy and Defense Committee. This committee, comprising the foreign ministers, defense ministers, and top military commanders of the three nations, aims to operationalize the "Mecca Defense Pact" signed on August 7, 2026. The pact, ratified by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, functions similarly to NATO's Article 5, stipulating that an armed attack on one member will be treated as an attack on all three.

The meeting focused on strengthening military interoperability, developing common defense production, and setting a strategic orientation for regional security. The signatories expressed shared concerns regarding the regional military postures of Israel and Iran. This alliance integrates Turkey's NATO-standard military, Saudi Arabia's significant regional influence, and Pakistan's nuclear capabilities.

Following the session, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan announced that the alliance is working on a roadmap to include potential new members, with Egypt cited as a likely candidate. The committee will continue to coordinate these defense initiatives as part of a long-term strategy to counter regional instability.