Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and Pakistan sign Makkah Joint Defence Agreement

Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and Pakistan have signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, a formal pact aimed at strengthening collective security and institutionalizing defense cooperation. Signed on August 7, 2026, during the Makkah Al-Mukarramah Summit at Al-Safa Palace, the agreement was witnessed by leaders including Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif.

The pact establishes a strategic, political, and military mechanism involving defense ministers and chiefs of general staff from all three nations to ensure high-level communication. It also includes plans for joint military, naval, and air exercises.

Turkish officials have noted that the agreement’s technical logic is similar to Article 5 of the NATO treaty, where an attack on one member is treated as an attack on all, providing a framework for collective self-defense. The initiative is viewed as an effort to reduce regional security dependence on external actors by leveraging historical ties and Islamic solidarity to enhance deterrence and stability.