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President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday that the newly signed Mecca Joint Defense Agreement targets no country and remains open to other nations in the region seeking peace, prosperity and stability, as leaders from Saudi Arabia and Pakistan also weighed in on the trilateral pact.
The agreement, signed earlier Friday by Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at Al-Safa Palace in Mecca, is built on the principle of collective deterrence.
It stipulates that an armed attack against any one of the three countries would be regarded as an attack against all of them, according to Turkish officials.
In a post on the Turkish social media platform NSosyal, Erdogan said the agreement would strengthen security and defense cooperation among the three countries, support joint defense industry projects and contribute to counterterrorism efforts.
He said it also reaffirmed the right to self-defense under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, a provision permitting states to act individually or collectively if attacked.
"The agreement does not target any country and is open to the participation of all brotherly countries seeking peace, prosperity and stability in our region," Erdogan said.
He added that Türkiye would continue to press for conflicts and crises to be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy grounded in respect for international law.
Erdogan said he had traveled to Mecca earlier Friday at the invitation of the Saudi crown prince, where he met with bin Salman and Sharif before the signing.
Sharif said he was honored to sign the pact alongside Erdogan and bin Salman, describing the three countries as "brotherly nations, united by faith, friendship and a shared resolve for peace and security."
He said he hoped the agreement would serve as "a shield of peace for generations to come" and contribute to prosperity in the three countries and the wider Muslim world.
Sharif also credited Pakistan's military chief, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, for what he called untiring efforts that helped bring the agreement to conclusion.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud said the signing confirmed the depth of the strategic and brotherly relations among the three countries, calling it an important milestone in their defense cooperation and a culmination of shared efforts to confront threats to regional security and stability.
He said the pact would benefit the three nations and their peoples while paving the way for greater development and prosperity across the region.
Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman said separately that the agreement establishes a framework for a long-term defense partnership intended to enhance deterrence, coordination and integration among the three countries, while contributing to broader regional and global security.
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