Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye hold first defense pact meeting in Istanbul

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye held the inaugural meeting of a strategic political and defense committee in Istanbul on Tuesday, taking the first steps towards implementing a joint defense pact signed earlier this month amid heightened security tensions in the Middle East.

The meeting at Istanbul's Ciragan Palace brought together the three countries' foreign and defense ministers and senior military officials.

What is the Makkah Defense Alliance?

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the agreement would be formally known as the "Makkah Defense Alliance," with a secretariat based in Riyadh and its first secretary general to be appointed from Pakistan.

The pact, signed in Makkah on August 7, commits the three countries to treating an armed attack against any one of them as an attack against all three, establishing a collective deterrence framework similar in principle to NATO's mutual-defense commitment.

Who attended the Istanbul defense pact meeting?

Pakistan's delegation included Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Chief of Defense Forces and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Defense Minister Khawaja Asif. Fidan told a news conference after the meeting: "As of today, we have started the process of establishing the institutional structure of the alliance."

Dar described the gathering as a "great inaugural meeting" following the signing of the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement, saying it was held in Istanbul after the pact was concluded in Makkah.

Why was the Makkah Defense Alliance formed?

The agreement comes as regional security concerns have intensified following the conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran, and Iranian missile attacks targeting Gulf states.

Fidan linked the initiative to wider regional instability, saying a lack of alliances and trust among countries in the region had contributed to insecurity. Turkey, which has NATO's second-largest military, said the new framework is not intended to replace existing alliances.

Can other countries join the Makkah Defense Alliance?

Fidan said the alliance was open to participation by other states, but stressed that potential members would have to meet its conditions, rules and standards. "The alliance is based on international principles such as respecting the sovereignty of other states, territorial integrity and not intervening in internal affairs," he said, adding that it was not directed against any particular country.

He said the new arrangement would not relieve the three countries of their obligations under other agreements, and that the immediate priority was making the alliance operational before considering further expansion.

What happens next for the defense pact?

The three countries are also expected to explore greater military interoperability, enhanced defense capabilities and cooperation in defense production, according to reports by AFP and Turkish state broadcaster TRT.

Implementation is expected to include the development of a secretariat and other institutional mechanisms, alongside a roadmap for cooperation in the coming period. The pact marks a significant step in defense cooperation between Pakistan, a nuclear-armed South Asian state, Saudi Arabia, one of the world's largest oil exporters, and Turkiye, a major NATO military power.