08/08/2026
Attack on one state to be taken as attack on all: ME security map redrawn as Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye sign defence pact in Makkah
Top Story
By Ag App & Asim Yasin & Mariana Baabar & Mumtaz Alvi
August 08, 2026
facebooktwitterwhatsapp
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan shakes hands with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, next to Pakistans Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, after signing a joint defence agreement in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, August 7, 2026. — Reuters
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan shakes hands with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, next to Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, after signing a joint defence agreement in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, August 7, 2026. — Reuters
ISLAMABAD: The Al-Sarah Palace in Makkah on Friday was witness to history being made when Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye signed a joint defence pact in Makkah, that empowers member states to treat an attack against one of them as an attack against all of them.
The Foreign Office (FO), giving details of the joint statement of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, said the agreement which will go a long way in strengthening their collective security, also reaffirms their commitment to defence cooperation and regional stability.
The agreement was signed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Saudi Crown Prince and PM Mohammad bin Salman, and Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Deputy Prime Minister/ Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar was also present at the signing ceremony, as what is being seen as a purely defence agreement with Pakistan being the only nuclear power in the troika. Türkiye, meanwhile, is the only state among them which had recognised Israel in 1949.
Importantly, in a special gesture, the invitation to Pakistan and Turkiye was extended by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to visit the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
According to Reuters, Saudi Arabia provides major financial resources and massive defence procurement power. Turkiye contributes advanced defence manufacturing (such as high-end drone technology) and serves as a major military force. Pakistan brings specialised military personnel, extensive defence training experience, and nuclear deterrence capabilities.
“Guided by the longstanding historical ties among the three States, based on the enduring bonds of brotherhood and Islamic solidarity that unite them, and building upon their shared strategic interests and longstanding defence cooperation, His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, H.E. Mr Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of the Republic of Türkiye, and H.E. Mr Muhammed Shehbaz Sharif, Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, reflecting the three States’ shared commitment to further strengthening their collective security and to promoting peace, security, and stability in the region and beyond, in pursuit of a secure and prosperous future,” added the joint statement.
The Agreement is intended to strengthen collective deterrence against any act of aggression, and stipulates that any armed attack against any one of the three States would be regarded as an attack against them all. It further provides for the enhancement of all aspects of defence cooperation among the three States.
The Makkah Agreement comes on the heels of proxy warfare in the Middle East which commenced by a joint attack on Iran by the United States and Israel, and now sees “the 2025 Saudi-Pakistan defence pact expanded to include Turkiye.
Prince Mohammed bin Salman received Turkish President Tayyip Erdo an and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at Al-Safa Palace in Makkah, where the Summit for Joint Defence was held, during which the relations between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Republic of Türkiye and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan were reviewed, along with a number of issues of mutual interest.
Separately, PM Shehbaz Sharif Friday described the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement as a historic pact aimed at promoting peace, security and prosperity in the region.
In a post on X, the prime minister said he was honoured to sign the agreement alongside Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
“Three brotherly nations, united by faith, friendship and a shared resolve for peace and security,” he said.
Shehbaz expressed the hope that the agreement, signed in Makkah, would serve as a “shield of peace” for generations and contribute to the prosperity of the three countries as well as the wider Muslim Ummah.
The prime minister also expressed his “deep appreciation” for Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, saying his “untiring efforts and utmost dedication” had contributed immensely to the conclusion of the agreement.
Also, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud said that the trilateral defence pact Riyadh signed with Türkiye and Pakistan reflects the depth of their strategic relations. “The signing of the Makkah Mutual Defence Agreement by the Saudi crown prince, the president of the Republic of Türkiye, and the prime minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan confirms the depth of the brotherly and strategic relations among the three countries,” he said on X.
He called the agreement an “important milestone in the path of defence cooperation.” It also represents “a culmination of the shared desire to unify efforts to confront challenges and threats affecting the security and stability of the region,” he further said.
“The pact would serve our countries and peoples, reflect positively on the entire region, and pave the way for a secure future in which opportunities for development and prosperity are strengthened,” he said.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Friday said the Joint Defence Agreement was aimed at strengthening collective deterrence and regional security, stressing that the pact targeted no country.
In a statement posted on social media following his visit to Makkah, Erdogan said he had met Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during the visit, made at the invitation of the Saudi crown prince.
“On this occasion, we signed a Joint Defence Agreement as three countries,” Erdogan said, adding that the agreement would contribute to advancing security and defence cooperation, developing joint projects in the defence industry and combating terrorism.
He said the agreement was based on the principle of collective deterrence and reaffirmed the right of self-defence as enshrined in Article 51 of the United Nations Charter.
“The agreement ... targets no country and is open to the participation of all brotherly countries that aim for the peace, prosperity, and stability of our region,” Erdogan said.
The Turkish president also reaffirmed Ankara’s commitment to resolving regional conflicts and crises through dialogue and diplomacy in accordance with international law.
He expressed hope that the visit, consultations among the three countries and the newly signed agreement would contribute to peace and stability across the region.
A Turkish official described the pact as “purely defensive” and said it was not directed against any specific actor.
Later on a bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud was held at the Al Safa Palace in Makkah. DPM Ishaq Dar, COAS and CDF Field Marshal Asim Munir and Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif accompanied the PM during the meeting.
PM Shehbaz Sharif also offered Juma (Friday) prayers alongside Saudi Crown Prince and PM Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan at Qasr Al-Safa. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar, Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir, along with senior Saudi and Turkish officials, were also present, a PM Office news release said.
Meanwhile, PM Shehbaz Sharif, along with his delegation, performed Umrah here on Friday. He was accompanied by his delegation including DPM & Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir, federal ministers Khawaja Muhammad Asif and Attaullah Tarar, and Special Assistant to PM Tariq Fatemi.
The door of Khana Kaaba was opened specially for the prime minister and his delegation. Following the completion of the Umrah rituals, the prime minister, field marshal, and other members of the Pakistani delegation offered special prayers for the progress and prosperity of the country, the safety and unity of the Muslim Ummah, and for regional and global peace.
The PM arrived in Jeddah on Thursday evening for a three-day visit to Saudi Arabia at the invitation of Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
Separately, President Asif Ali Zardari welcomed the signing of the historic Makkah Joint Defence Agreement as an important contribution to peace, security and stability in the region and beyond. “This landmark pact strengthens collective deterrence, deepens defence cooperation and reaffirms the shared commitment of the three brotherly nations to a secure and prosperous future,” he noted in a post posted on official account of office of President on “X”.
According to post shared by media wing of President House, President Asif Ali Zardari appreciated the role of PM Shehbaz Sharif and CDF Field Marshal Asim Munir, in advancing this important initiative, which builds on enduring bonds of brotherhood and strategic partnership. “May Allah Almighty bless this historic agreement and grant lasting peace, security and prosperity to our nations and the Muslim Ummah, Pakistan Zindabad!” he prayed.
Tehreek Nafaz Fiqh-e-Jafaria Pakistan (TNFJ) chief Allama Agha Syed Hussain Muqaddasi on Friday welcomed Türkiye’s inclusion in the joint defence agreement and called for all Muslim countries to join the pact. In a statement, Muqaddasi said collective defence should be viewed as a shared responsibility and urged Muslim nations to resolve their differences and unite under Pakistan’s leadership. He said distinctions between Arab and non-Arab Muslims were contrary to the teachings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
He praised Pakistan’s role in mediating during the conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel, saying Muslim unity was essential to counter attempts to create divisions within the Muslim world.
Muqaddasi also commended the sacrifices of Pakistan’s armed forces and their counterterrorism efforts, stressing that all provisions of the National Action Plan should be fully implemented to prevent those sacrifices from being wasted.
Meanwhile, in his post on “X”, renowned religious scholar M***i Muhammad Taqi Usmani welcomed the defence agreement signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye in Makkah, describing it as “a source of great happiness for the entire Muslim world.”
He congratulated the three governments for concluding the “historic agreement” near the Holy Kaaba and expressed the hope that it would become a means of strengthening unity among the Muslim Ummah.
Turkiye said on Friday that its new defence agreement with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia did not contradict its commitments to the NATO alliance.
“The agreement is not in contradiction with the commitments of Turkey´s existing international alliances, including those at the heart of NATO,” the government´s anti-disinformation service said in a post on X.
In fact, it was an additional cooperation mechanism that supported regional security, the statement added.
“Turkey´s development of regional partnerships is not an alternative to its NATO membership,” it said. The service said it was responding to “baseless claims and manipulative posts” criticising the new agreement.
Turkiye insisted on Friday that its joint defence pact signed with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan amid the US-Iran war was “not aimed at any particular country”.
“The Mecca Agreement, which is not aimed at any particular country, will strengthen the shared security and collective deterrence of the three nations... thereby making significant contributions to the preservation of peace and stability in our region,” Burhanettin Duran, the Turkish presidency´s communications director, posted on X.
A Saudi official said Friday that the joint defence pact signed with Turkiye and Pakistan was not linked to “any nuclear ambitions” and was not a threat to any country in the region.
“The agreement does not represent an effort to establish a military axis or a sectarian bloc. Nor is it linked to any nuclear ambitions or arms race, rather it is focused on building sustainable capabilities,” said Deputy Minister for Public Diplomacy Rayed Krimly in a post on X.
He said the deal “does not constitute a threat to the security of any country in the region, nor does it represent an escalation of tensions between any two states”.
Muhammad Saleh Zaafir adds: The government will take the two houses of the parliament into confidence next week about the joint defence agreement. According to sources, the two houses’ sessions would be scheduled after the prime minister’s return from Saudi Arabia.
