Turkey to host R4 summit with Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Egypt

Turkey is organizing a Regional 4 (R4) summit in Istanbul at the end of August, bringing together foreign ministers from Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Egypt. The meeting marks the first gathering of this four-nation group following the trilateral Mecca Agreement, which established a collective defense framework between Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan.

A primary objective of the summit is to discuss the potential expansion of the Mecca Agreement to include Egypt. While Egypt has maintained open communication channels, it has not yet signed the agreement. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan recently communicated with Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Mohammad Ishaq Dar, who accepted the invitation to attend the upcoming meeting to discuss regional peace and stability.