Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan have signed a landmark mutual defence agreement, committing the three countries to treat an armed attack against any member as an attack against them all.
The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement was signed on Friday by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The pact seeks to strengthen collective deterrence and deepen military cooperation amid escalating instability across the Middle East. Saudi Press Agency
Officials described the agreement as defensive and said it was not directed against any particular country. However, the three governments have shared concerns over Iran’s regional activities, Israel’s expanding military operations and growing uncertainty surrounding traditional US security guarantees.
The alliance combines Saudi Arabia’s economic and strategic influence, Türkiye’s advanced defence industry and NATO’s second-largest military, and Pakistan’s experienced armed forces and nuclear capability.
The published statement does not specify whether an attack would automatically require military intervention. Saudi officials have also stressed that the pact does not create a sectarian military bloc or extend Pakistan’s nuclear deterrent to its partners. Reuters
The agreement follows nearly a year of negotiations and builds on decades of defence cooperation. Pakistan has long trained Saudi forces, while Türkiye supplies Saudi Arabia with military technology, including drones. Türkiye and Pakistan also maintain close defence-industrial and military ties.
The pact signals an effort by three influential Muslim-majority countries to build a more independent regional security structure as conflict increasingly threatens Gulf states, energy exports and vital maritime routes.
