Egypt could join Pak-Saudi-Turkiye defence pact once technical issues resolved, says Turkish foreign minister

Egypt is poised to join a burgeoning defense alliance involving Turkiye, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia, provided outstanding technical matters are settled, stated Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Fidan described Egypt as a "natural partner" and expressed confidence that Cairo would soon become part of the alliance, noting that the nations already operate with a sense of shared commitment. "There are a few technical issues. Once these are implemented, there is no reason for Egypt not to be part of it," he told Anadolu news agency. The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, formalized on Friday in Saudi Arabia, establishes a framework for collective deterrence, mirroring NATO's Article 5 by stipulating that an attack against one signatory is considered an attack against all. However, Fidan elaborated that the pact's practical application hinges on consultations within relevant bodies. Assistance requests would need to be made, with the nature of support, ranging from intelligence and logistics to military units, determined by the scale of the threat and mutual agreement. He emphasized that the alliance is not aimed at any particular nation, such as Iran, but serves as a general commitment to the security of the three founding members.

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Egypt is already our natural partner on all issues. I believe that at the next stage, Egypt will also be among us in the alliance. We already act toward one another as if we were alliance members. There are a few technical issues. Once these are implemented, there is no reason for Egypt not to be part of it.