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Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Saturday that Egypt could join the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, emphasizing that Ankara envisions expanding the new regional security pact beyond its three founding members.
Speaking about the agreement, Fidan said President Recep Tayyip Erdogan envisions the initiative growing over time rather than remaining limited to Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.
"Our president's vision is for this initiative not to remain limited to three countries, but to grow and, if necessary, bring all countries under this umbrella," he said. Fidan added that several other countries have also expressed interest in joining the framework.
Signed by Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan on Aug. 7, the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement is a mutual defense pact under which an attack on one member is considered an attack on all.
It also provides for closer military cooperation, joint planning and defense coordination, while remaining open to new members with the consent of the founding countries.
Fidan described the agreement as the result of nearly three years of continuous discussions with the partner countries, arguing that the region needed a collective defense arrangement to help improve stability and prosperity.
He noted that the pact would function in a way that is technically similar to NATO's Article 5, with a ministers' committee, political and military committees, and a permanent secretariat responsible for overseeing implementation of decisions.
The secretariat will be based in Saudi Arabia, while joint military exercises and training programs are also planned.
Rejecting suggestions that the alliance is aimed at Iran, Fidan stressed that the agreement is defensive in nature.
"When we come together with these countries, it naturally becomes a defense organization. Unless it is attacked from inside or outside the region, this alliance will not take action," he said. "I want to underline that Iran is not the target of this alliance. No country that does not attack us is our target."
He also said Iranian officials are familiar with the initiative through previous discussions and argued that Türkiye could continue to serve as a mediator if requested by the parties involved.
Turning to wider regional issues, Fidan said securing even a temporary agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz remains the most urgent priority, noting that countries across the Middle East, Europe, Asia and the United States are pushing for maritime traffic to resume.
On Gaza, he praised Hamas for prioritizing the Palestinian people and accused Israel of hesitating to move to the second phase of a peace plan. He argued that international political isolation of Israel should continue.
Fidan also called for renewed efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war, warning that the conflict could escalate further if it continues.
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