Top officials from Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan will convene in Istanbul for the first committee meeting under the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, signed on August 7. This agreement, which aligns these Sunni Muslim U.S. allies, is a response to the ongoing Iran conflict and aims to enhance collective deterrence against aggression.
The meeting will involve foreign and defense ministers and military chiefs from the three countries, focusing on international security issues, defense capabilities, and cooperation in the defense industry. The agreement stipulates that an armed attack on any member will be considered an attack on all, mirroring NATO's Article 5.
The backdrop includes rising concerns over Israel's military posture and Iran's actions, as the U.S. continues to exert pressure on Iran economically. Turkey, with NATO's second-largest military, has indicated that the pact could expand to include other nations, such as Egypt, without replacing existing alliances