Defence pact: Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye to establish ‘political, military mechanisms’

• Three countries to hold joint military exercises: Ankara.
• Says defence ties to be placed on more sustainable footing.
• Adds defence industry cooperation will also be expanded.
  

ANKARA: Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan will group senior ministers, hold joint exercises and deepen defence industry cooperation under a military pact signed between the three countries last week, the Turkish defence ministry said on Thursday.

The three US allies signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement attended by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on August 7.

Under the agreement signed during the Makkah Al-Mukarramah Summit for Joint Defence, an armed attack against any one of the three countries would be regarded as an attack against them all.

At a weekly briefing in Ankara, Turkiye’s defence ministry said the pact’s fundamental goal was to ensure defence and military ties were put on a “more institutional and sustainable” footing.

“Under the accord, strategic political and military mechanisms plan to be established involving the Defence Ministers, Foreign Ministers, and Chiefs of General Staff/Armed Forces Commanders, and that coordination among the three countries will be conducted at the highest level,” it said.

The ministry added that joint military exercises involving land, naval, and air forces, as well as air defence and unmanned systems were planned, in addition to deeper defence industry cooperation.

“The aim is to provide not only product and system supply, but also joint development and production, technology cooperation, and sustainable maintenance and logistics support,” it said, adding that unmanned and autonomous systems, electronic warfare and artificial intelligence capabilities would be prioritised.

Turkiye, which has Nato’s second-largest army, has said the pact with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia was open to expansion — with Egypt as a potential candidate — and did not seek to replace any existing alliances.

The ministry also said Turkiye was participating in meetings in Jeddah aimed at establishing an international coalition to protect Red Sea shipping.

A day earlier, President Erdogan said he hoped more countries would join the defence pact.

“Our vision for it is not limited to the three countries,” the Turkish leader told the London-based Asharq Al-Awsat daily. “Rather we aspire for it to grow, and perhaps appropriate conditions will emerge one day for all countries of the region to gather under its umbrella.”

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Saturday said Turkiye expected Egypt to join the pact “in the next stage”, telling the Anadolu state news agency only “a few technical issues” stood in the way.

Egypt has not commented on the agreement nor on the remarks by Fidan, who will visit Cairo on Thursday and Friday.