Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan to Hold First Defence Pact Meeting in Istanbul

Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are set to hold the first meeting of a committee established under their newly signed Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, marking a new stage in military and security cooperation among the three countries.

Senior officials from the three nations are expected to meet in Istanbul on Monday, August 31, according to a Turkish Foreign Ministry source. Turkey’s Foreign Ministry has also confirmed that the meeting will take place, with its foreign and defence ministers and chief of staff participating alongside officials from Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.

The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement was signed on August 7 by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Makkah.

The agreement is designed to strengthen collective deterrence and states that an armed attack against any one of the three countries would be regarded as an attack against all three, a provision broadly comparable to NATO’s collective-defence principle.

The Istanbul meeting will bring together the countries’ foreign and defence ministers as well as military chiefs, according to the Turkish source cited by Reuters.

Discussions are expected to focus on strengthening defence capabilities, improving interoperability between the three militaries and expanding cooperation in the defence industry, including joint production and development of military technologies.

International security issues and counterterrorism cooperation are also expected to feature on the agenda.

The meeting comes as the Middle East faces heightened geopolitical tensions, particularly amid the continuing conflict involving Iran and concerns over security in the Gulf.

Turkey has indicated that the new defence arrangement could eventually be expanded to include other countries. Egypt has been mentioned as a potential candidate, although the existing agreement does not seek to replace the countries’ current international alliances.

The three countries already maintain significant bilateral military relationships. Pakistan and Turkey have expanded defence cooperation in recent years, while Saudi Arabia has also deepened military and defence-industry ties with both countries.

The new pact formalises a broader framework for cooperation and could give the three countries a greater collective role in shaping regional security.

The agreement is particularly significant because it brings together Saudi Arabia, a major Gulf oil producer; Turkey, a NATO member with one of the alliance’s largest militaries; and Pakistan, a nuclear-armed state.

Officials from the three countries have described the pact as defensive and focused on collective security rather than targeting a specific country.

The first committee meeting is expected to provide more details on how the agreement will operate in practice and establish a roadmap for future military and political cooperation.