Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan have signed a military pact known as the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement on August 7, 2026, aimed at deepening defence ties and collective security, Türkiye's defence ministry announced.

The agreement, signed by the three Sunni Muslim US allies alarmed by regional conflicts including Iranian missile attacks on Gulf oil exporters, stipulates that an armed attack against any member will be considered an attack on all, mirroring NATO's Article 5 collective defence clause.

At a briefing in Ankara on August 13, 2026, the defence ministry said the pact's fundamental goal is to institutionalise and sustain defence and military cooperation. It plans to establish strategic political and military mechanisms involving defence ministers, foreign ministers, and chiefs of general staff or armed forces commanders, ensuring coordination at the highest level.

Joint military exercises involving land, naval, air forces, air defence, and unmanned systems are planned. The pact also aims to deepen defence industry cooperation, focusing on joint development, production, technology cooperation, and sustainable maintenance and logistics support. Priority areas include unmanned and autonomous systems, electronic warfare, and artificial intelligence capabilities.

Türkiye, which has NATO's second-largest army, stated the pact with nuclear-armed Pakistan and major oil exporter Saudi Arabia is open to expansion, with Egypt as a potential candidate, and does not intend to replace existing alliances.

Additionally, Türkiye is participating in meetings in Jeddah to establish an international coalition to protect Red Sea shipping.

Sources