Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan hold first meeting of defense pact committee

Top officials from Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan are convening in Istanbul on August 31, 2026, for the inaugural meeting of the Strategic Policy and Defense Committee. This committee was established under the "Mecca Joint Defense Agreement" signed by the three nations on August 7, 2026. The pact, which includes signatories such as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, mandates that an armed attack against one member be treated as an attack against all, mirroring NATO's Article 5.

The delegation includes foreign and defense ministers alongside military commanders. Participants intend to establish a common strategic orientation, discuss interoperability, and coordinate on defense industry development and production. Turkey is represented by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Defense Minister Yasar Guler, and General Selcuk Bayraktaroglu, while Pakistan sends Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.

The bloc is driven by mutual security concerns regarding the military postures of Israel and Iran. Turkey has indicated the alliance remains open to future expansion, with Egypt potentially considered as a future member.