Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan hold first Mecca Defense Agreement meeting as more countries eye joining pact

Top officials from Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan gathered in Istanbul on Monday for the inaugural meeting of the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, signed August 7. Ahead of the meeting, Pakistan said several countries have already shown interest in joining the defense pact.

Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said over the weekend in the UK that six to seven Muslim-majority countries have expressed interest in joining the pact, without naming them, adding that officials are working on a framework to make accession easier. Bangladesh has been the latest country to signal openness to joining. At the same time, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said earlier this month the pact could expand to include other regional states, like Egypt.

The pact stipulates that an armed attack against any of the three countries will be regarded as an attack against all, similar to NATO's Article 5 collective defense clause.

Following the meeting, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan described the Mecca Defense Agreement as complementary to NATO rather than a rival framework. "The Mecca Alliance is a historic step based on the principle of defense and complementing NATO," Fidan said. "We have taken practical steps to build a practical security structure in the region, and we are working on a roadmap for other countries to join the alliance."

Fidan also directed sharp criticism at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing him of prolonging regional conflict. "This criminal, Netanyahu, who takes pleasure in shedding Palestinian blood and Muslim blood, must now be stopped," Fidan said, adding that Netanyahu's approach was causing "immense harm to Israel, to Palestine, and to the entire region."

The Turkish Foreign Minister also said Netanyahu's statements made clear he opposes the establishment of a Palestinian state and does not intend to relinquish "ongoing occupations in countries across the region," calling it evidence Netanyahu wants a "genocidal and occupying approach" to continue. "This is no longer a threat only to us; it is a major threat to the entire region and to the international community," Fidan said, calling on "the international system" to confront what he described as the threat posed by Netanyahu.

The agreement brings together three Sunni Muslim US allies concerned by the ongoing Iran war and the broader regional conflict, which has included Iranian missile fire on Gulf oil exporters. Six months into the war, negotiations remain at an impasse, and the Trump administration has escalated financial pressure on Tehran through what it has called an "economic D-Day."

Turkey, which fields NATO's second-largest military, has said the pact with nuclear-armed Pakistan and top oil exporter Saudi Arabia is open to further expansion and is not intended to replace existing alliances. President Trump praised the agreement, calling it a bold first step that allows nations to defend themselves.