Turkey says Egypt could join Mecca defense pact

Egypt may join a significant mutual defense agreement between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan, according to Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. The pact, signed in Mecca last week, could be expanded to include other nations in the region.

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Our president's vision is for this initiative not to be limited to three countries, but to continue to develop and, if necessary, embrace all countries under this cooperation umbrella

Fidan told the Anadolu Agency that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan envisions broadening the pact's scope beyond the initial three signatories. He stressed that the agreement, which stipulates that an attack on one party is considered an attack on all three, is strictly defensive and lacks expansionist aims. "Our president's vision is for this initiative not to be limited to three countries, but to continue to develop and, if necessary, embrace all countries under this cooperation umbrella," Fidan said.

He suggested that Egypt could become part of the agreement in a future stage. Fidan clarified that the pact does not specifically name any particular "common threat" and stated that military exercises and training sessions would be conducted within its framework. He also noted that the agreement does not designate Iran or any other country as a common threat.

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common threat

The Mecca Mutual Defense Agreement was signed by Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. It establishes that an armed attack against any of the three nations will be viewed as an attack against all. Fidan explained to Anadolu that the response to an attack would depend on the specific circumstances, requiring the attacked nation to request assistance and detail the needed support, which could range from intelligence and logistics to ammunition or troop deployment. The alliance will also establish political and military committees and a secretariat in Saudi Arabia.

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