Turkish parliament speaker: Mecca defense pact could expand to wider Islamic alliance

Turkish Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus said on Monday that the "Mecca Joint Defense Agreement" between Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan could develop into a broader pact for the Islamic world, potentially including Iran. He noted that the agreement is expected to be submitted for ratification starting next month.

The three countries signed the agreement in August, just weeks before Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi group launched attacks against Saudi Arabia amid the ongoing Iran conflict.

The agreement, similar to Article 5 of the NATO Charter, stipulates that an attack on any of the three countries will be considered an attack on all. The signatory states have held meetings to discuss the agreement's mechanisms and assess Riyadh's needs.

According to Reuters, Kurtulmus said: "For international agreements to take effect, parliamentary approval is required. The current meetings under this agreement are preparatory." He added, "I expect this matter to be included on the parliament's agenda in the coming period," referring to the parliament's resumption in October after the recess.

Kurtulmus added that the agreement does not target any specific country, but primarily aims to ensure the security of regional states amid ongoing conflicts and "hostile Israeli policies," noting that Tehran could join the pact.

He continued, "We do not consider the Mecca Agreement to be directed against Iran, nor should it be. In fact, we hope the Mecca Agreement will evolve into a broader pact for the Islamic world. Iran can also join the agreement, and we hope it will be further strengthened by the participation of other countries in the region."