ISLAMABAD: Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey have agreed to name their joint defense agreement the Mecca Defense Alliance. The alliance’s first Secretary General will be from Pakistan.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan made the announcement after the first meeting of the Strategic Political and Defense Committee established under the Mecca Defense Agreement in Istanbul. He said that the secretariat of the alliance has been established in the Saudi capital Riyadh.
The meeting was attended by the foreign ministers, defense ministers and senior military officials of the three countries. Pakistan was represented by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif and Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defense Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir.
Turkey was represented by Hakan Fidan, Minister of National Defense Yaşar Güvler and Chief of General Staff General Selçuk Bayraktar Olu. Saudi Arabia was represented by Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman and Chief of General Staff General Fayyaz bin Hamid Al-Ruwaily.
According to Hakan Fidan, the meeting discussed in detail the next steps for the implementation of the defense agreement. The three countries have also started the process of giving the alliance a permanent institutional form.
He said that it has become necessary to organize joint efforts for peace, security and stability in the region. According to him, the Mecca Defense Alliance will provide a new cooperation framework for this purpose.
Fidan clarified that this alliance was not created against any particular country. According to him, the alliance is defensive in nature and is based on the principles of international law, sovereignty of states, territorial integrity and non-interference in each other’s internal affairs.
He added that there is scope for friendly countries that respect these principles to join the alliance in the future. However, the inclusion of new members will be after phased consultations.
The Mecca Joint Defense Agreement was signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey in Mecca on August 7, 2026. According to the key clause of the agreement, an armed attack on any of the three countries will be considered an attack on all parties.
The three countries have decided to further streamline their defense cooperation through this agreement. It focuses on giving a permanent institutional form to defense cooperation with high-level political and military contacts.
The first meeting in Istanbul is a practical step in this process. Through it, the three countries have started working on the institutions and coordination mechanisms established under the agreement.
For Pakistan, the responsibility of the first Secretary General indicates an important diplomatic and institutional role. The secretariat established in Riyadh will play a central role in the day-to-day management of the alliance and communication between the three countries.
The three countries say that the joint defense cooperation aims to improve security and stability in the region. However, the practical significance of this alliance will be assessed by its future decisions, institutional system and the level of defense cooperation among the member countries.
