Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan Sign Joint Defence Pact in Makkah

A new trilateral defence pact has been announced by Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan in a noteworthy move towards greater security cooperation among the three nations.

The summits were held in Makkah, attended by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

The three countries pledged to enhance their long-standing and comprehensive defence and strategic cooperation, according to Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ joint statement. The main point of the pact is that a military attack on any of the three nations will be considered an attack on all three.

The accord is to deepen cooperation in the defence sector and is designed to help bolster mutual defense powers for the purpose of preventing external aggression. The leaders reaffirmed their declared commitment to peace, stability and security in the region.

The summit in Makkah highlighted and boosted the connectivity of Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan in terms of history and politics and presented more importance to strategic mutual interests. The new deal knits together three states that are Muslim-dominated and have considerable military, economic and geopolitical strength.

The deal has taken on special significance in the context of greater security threats in the broader region of the Middle East and the world. But the combined message is that this is a defensive agreement with the objective of maintaining an alliance, not aimed at any particular country.

The Makkah deal might set the path for a more active military cooperation and deepen defence collaboration as well as a stronger defence coordination and consultation between Riyadh, Ankara and Islamabad.

As the three governments start implementing their new pledge in terms of actual security cooperation, it will surely receive a great deal of attention in the Middle East, South Asia and globally.