Now Reading: Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye sign joint defence pact in Mecca
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Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye sign joint defence pact in Mecca
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye sign joint defence pact in Mecca
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkiye signed a joint defence agreement in Mecca on August 7, pledging that an armed attack on one signatory will be treated as an attack on all. Turkish…
The Story in Brief
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkiye signed a joint defence agreement in Mecca on August 7, pledging that an armed attack on one signatory will be treated as an attack on all. Turkish President Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif sealed the deal, which aims to strengthen collective deterrence amid the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict. Saudi Arabia has faced repeated Iranian missile and drone strikes, while the Strait of Hormuz closure has hit its economy. Turkiye, a NATO member, says the pact does not clash with its existing alliances. The agreement follows a Saudi-Pakistan bilateral defence deal signed in September 2025 after Israel bombed Qatar.
The three countries bring complementary strengths: Pakistan is nuclear-armed, Saudi Arabia has deep financial reserves, and Turkiye has a growing defence industry including drone technology. The pact marks a shift as regional powers look beyond the US security umbrella. However, The Hindu notes the alliance was signed amid ongoing wars, making the collective defence pledge largely symbolic until it can build credible deterrence.
The Indian Opinion
Commentators call this an 'Islamic NATO', but the label overstates things. NATO had decades of interoperability and a clear Cold War purpose. This pact was born out of Saudi vulnerability during the Iran war and signed while conflicts rage. The promise of collective defence looks symbolic when one signatory has depleted 86 per cent of its Patriot interceptors, as reports say. The real test: will the bloc's first military response be more than a joint statement?
Sources (2): thehindu.com, ndtv.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
