President Erdogan Sees Mecca Pact as Pillar for International Peace and Stability

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan affirmed that the "Mecca Pact" for joint defense, comprising Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan, will play a pivotal role in establishing peace and stability both regionally and globally. This statement came during his participation in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, held in the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek. He emphasized that this alliance, founded on the principles of regional ownership and collective deterrence, will significantly contribute to achieving these objectives. Erdogan's assertion follows a joint statement previously issued by the Political and Defense Strategic Committee of the "Mecca Defense Agreement." The statement outlined the commitment of Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey to strengthen their defensive capabilities and the cohesion of their armed forces through joint activities, with a focus on "robust cooperation in defense industries and the development of joint production and technologies." Furthermore, the final communiqué from the inaugural meeting of the Mecca Defense Agreement's Political and Defense Strategic Committee, hosted in Istanbul, reaffirmed the three nations' commitment to work together towards achieving sustainable peace and stability in their region. To this end, the states will continue to support efforts aimed at de-escalation and restraint, thereby encouraging peaceful resolutions to crises, stemming from their regional responsibilities. The "Joint Defense Agreement" was signed on August 7th last year in Mecca by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The agreement aims to enhance defense cooperation based on the principle of burden-sharing and a common understanding of security, to maintain regional and global peace, stability, and prosperity. The pact stipulates that any armed attack targeting one of the three nations shall be considered an attack on all of them, thereby bolstering collective deterrence against any aggressive action.