Representatives from Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan are scheduled to convene in Istanbul on Monday for their inaugural meeting following the recent signing of the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement earlier this month. The gathering will include foreign ministers, defence ministers, and military chiefs from all three nations, according to Turkish officials.
The meeting aims to formally establish a political and defence strategic committee composed of high-level representatives from each country. Turkish Foreign Ministry sources indicated that discussions will address international security matters and opportunities for enhanced military cooperation and capability development among the member states.
The Mecca agreement functions as a collective security arrangement comparable to NATO, where an armed attack against one signatory could trigger obligations for the other members to respond. The pact emerged following regional tensions related to the United States-Israel military operations concerning Iran.
The three signatories bring substantial military and economic resources to the alliance. Turkiye maintains the second-largest armed forces within NATO, Pakistan holds the distinction of being the sole nuclear-armed Muslim-majority nation, and Saudi Arabia ranks as the world’s largest oil exporter.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan indicated in an earlier interview that Egypt could potentially become part of the agreement. Bangladesh has also publicly expressed interest in joining the pact. India has been monitoring these developments closely, with officials stating they will implement necessary measures to protect national interests in response to the agreement’s expansion.
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