Turkey says Egypt may join Mecca joint defense pact with Saudi Arabia, Pakistan

Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Saturday that Egypt may join the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, signed between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, once certain technical issues related to the pact are resolved.

In an interview with Anadolu Agency, Fidan explained that the agreement, signed by Saudi Arabia and Pakistan on Friday in Mecca, includes the formation of a ministerial committee and a general secretariat to coordinate activities and implement its mechanisms. He noted that the way it operates will, in some aspects, resemble the collective defense mechanisms used by NATO.

The Turkish foreign minister said a ministerial committee will be established under the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, along with a general secretariat responsible for coordinating the agreement’s activities and overseeing the implementation of its mechanisms.

He added that the agreement is based on identifying a common threat among the member states, emphasizing that Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey "are not expansionist countries," and that any state not attacking the signatories "will not be a target for us."

Fidan explained that the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement is technically similar to Article 5 of the NATO Charter, which is based on the principle of collective defense.

Article 5 of the NATO Treaty states that an armed attack against one or more member states in Europe or North America is considered an attack against them all, obligating member states to assist in responding to the attack.

The Turkish foreign minister confirmed that Egypt’s accession to the Mecca Agreement remains possible, clarifying that this could happen once technical matters related to its membership in the defense pact are settled.

The Turkish announcement comes after Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement in Mecca, as part of new defense arrangements between the two countries.

In a related context, Fidan highlighted the importance of Turkey’s participation in the Saudi-led multinational maritime defense coalition, stressing that the security of navigation in the Red Sea is linked to Turkey’s interests.

He said Turkey should take part in the coalition led by the Kingdom, as part of efforts to protect navigation and secure maritime routes in the Red Sea.