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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement between Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan was designed to send a broader signal to the Islamic world, adding that the pact is already producing what he described as “positive developments.”
Erdogan made the remarks during a meeting with young people in the northern province of Samsun, where he had traveled for the opening of Samsun City Hospital.
The “Meeting with Young People” program was organized by the AK Party headquarters’ youth branches at the Samsun Metropolitan Municipality’s Yali Cafe Library.
“Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye came together and took a step. With this step, let us send a signal to the Islamic world,” Erdogan said. “There are positive developments, and we will succeed in this.”
Erdogan made the comments in response to a question about his long-standing phrase that “the world is bigger than five,” referring to the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council.
He reiterated his criticism of the current international system and said Türkiye would continue advocating for “a fairer world.”
Erdogan also pointed to developments in the Strait of Hormuz and across the Gulf, saying the Islamic world was facing serious challenges.
“We are following what is happening in the Strait of Hormuz,” he said. “And it is not only what is happening in the Strait of Hormuz; there are serious difficulties in many parts of the Gulf.”
“Türkiye says that we should overcome the difficulties facing the Islamic world as soon as possible,” Erdogan added.
“To overcome these, Türkiye has put its weight behind the region, is doing so, and will continue to do so.”
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Erdogan said Türkiye could not treat the situation lightly because of what he described as high expectations from the country.
“We cannot take this matter lightly, because expectations from Türkiye are high,” he said.
Referring again to the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, Erdogan said Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan had come together to take a joint step and send a message to the wider Islamic world.
The Turkish president also said Ankara had managed to keep the country away from the conflicts and crises affecting the surrounding region.
“At a difficult time when our region is grappling with crises, wars and conflicts, we have kept our nation away from these dangers,” Erdogan said.
He added that Türkiye had made significant progress in multiple fields despite instability in surrounding regions.
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