Turkish officials confirmed on August 23 that a high-level meeting among Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan will take place in Istanbul on Monday (August 24), attended by the foreign ministers, defense ministers, and chiefs of general staff of all three countries. This will be the first such gathering since the three nations signed the joint Mecca Defense Agreement earlier this month.
According to AFP, the Istanbul meeting will formally establish a “strategic political and defense committee” comprising representatives from the three countries. Sources from the Turkish Foreign Ministry, cited by Reuters, indicated that the agenda will focus on international security issues as well as discussions on enhancing cooperation and military capabilities.
The Mecca Agreement was signed following the U.S.-Israel war with Iran, creating a collective security treaty similar to NATO, under which an attack on one member could be considered an attack on all members.
Among the three nations, Turkey possesses the second-largest military force in NATO, Pakistan is the only Muslim country with nuclear weapons, and Saudi Arabia is the world's leading oil exporter.
In an interview with Al Jazeera in August, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Egypt could join this defense pact. Bangladesh has also announced it is actively considering the possibility of joining.
The potential expansion of the agreement is being closely monitored by India. Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said New Delhi will take all necessary measures to protect its national security.
