Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan sign defense pact treating attack on one as attack on all
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan came together with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif today in Mecca to sign a joint defense agreement.
The agreement states that an armed attack against any one of the three countries will be regarded as an attack against them all.
A joint statement released by the countries after the signing of the agreement said it "reflects shared commitment to further strengthening their collective security and to promoting peace, security, and stability in the region and beyond, in pursuit of a secure and prosperous future."
"The Agreement is intended to strengthen collective deterrence against any act of aggression, and stipulates that any armed attack against any one of the three States shall be regarded as an attack against them all," said the statement. "It further provides for the enhancement of all aspects of defence cooperation among the three States."
Pakistan, the only country among the three that possesses nuclear weapons, previuosly had a similar bilateral agreement with Saudi Arabia, signed in September.
The development came against the backdrop of the US-Israeli war on Iran, during which Tehran retaliated with missile and drone strikes on US assets in several countries, including Saudi Arabia.
Hostilities between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen have also resumed since last month. The Houthis say they have imposed a "blockade" on Saudi vessels passing through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, forcing them to reroute around the Cape of Good Hope, in response to Riyadh's ongoing blockade on Yemeni airports. The two sides have also exchanged missile and airstrikes.
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