Ankara, August 13, 2026: Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan will establish high-level defence and military coordination mechanisms, conduct joint exercises and expand defence industry cooperation under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement signed last week, Türkiye’s Defence Ministry said on Thursday.
The three countries signed the agreement on August 7 during the Makkah Al-Mukarramah Summit for Joint Defence, attended by Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Under the landmark pact, an armed attack against any one of the three countries will be regarded as an attack against all three.
At a weekly briefing in Ankara, the Turkish Defence Ministry said the agreement was aimed at placing defence and military cooperation among the three countries on a “more institutional and sustainable” footing.
It said strategic political and military mechanisms would be established involving defence and foreign ministers as well as chiefs of general staff or armed forces commanders, allowing coordination among the three countries at the highest level.
The ministry said the agreement envisaged joint military exercises involving land, naval and air forces, as well as cooperation in air defence and unmanned systems.
The three countries also plan to deepen defence industrial cooperation, moving beyond conventional procurement towards joint development and production, technology cooperation and sustainable maintenance and logistics support.
According to the ministry, priority areas will include unmanned and autonomous systems, electronic warfare and artificial intelligence capabilities.
Türkiye has indicated that the defence pact could eventually be expanded to include other countries, while stressing that it is not intended to replace existing alliances.
Turkish President Erdogan said he hoped additional countries would eventually join the arrangement.
“Our vision for it is not limited to the three countries,” Erdogan told Asharq Al-Awsat, saying Ankara aspired for the framework to grow and potentially bring countries across the region under its umbrella.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan had earlier said Egypt was expected to join the pact “in the next stage”, adding that only a few technical issues remained to be resolved. Egypt has not publicly commented on the proposal.
Fidan is scheduled to visit Cairo on Thursday and Friday, according to the Turkish side.
Meanwhile, the Turkish Defence Ministry said Ankara was participating in meetings in Jeddah focused on establishing an international coalition to protect shipping in the Red Sea.
The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement marks a significant step in defence coordination among Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan and is expected to provide a framework for closer strategic, military and defence-industrial cooperation among the three countries.
