Turkey Signals Mecca Defense Alliance Open to New Members
Turkey says the trilateral defense pact with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan is open to expansion, with a roadmap for new members being developed.
Turkey has indicated that the recently formed defense alliance with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan is designed to grow, with a formal process for admitting new members currently being developed.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan made the remarks on Monday in Istanbul, following the first meeting of the alliance's Strategic, Political and Defense Committee. The committee brought together the foreign ministers, defense ministers, and chiefs of staff from all three member nations.
The pact, signed on August 7, commits the three countries to collective defense, treating an attack on one member as an attack on all. While the structure draws comparisons to NATO's Article 5, officials have stressed that the alliance is not directed against any specific adversary.
Fidan stated that while the agreement allows for the participation of other countries, any expansion would require detailed discussions with both prospective members and existing partners. He confirmed that a roadmap for accession processes is being prepared.
"Let me emphasize that the alliance was established to expand," Fidan said, adding that its foundations and institutionalization must be laid carefully from the outset. He also promised close collaboration with "friendly countries," with Egypt being widely mentioned as a potential future member of the Muslim-majority alliance.