- Meeting to be held in Istanbul: Turkish foreign ministry source.
- International security issues will be on the agenda: source.
- Discussions expected to cover enhancing defence capabilities: source.
Top officials from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye will gather in Istanbul on Monday for a first committee meeting under the joint defence accord that they signed this month, a Turkish foreign ministry source said.
The three US allies signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement attended by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on August 7.
It is intended to strengthen collective deterrence against any act of aggression and stipulates that an armed attack against any of the three would be regarded as an attack on all, similar to Nato’s Article 5 collective defence clause.
Foreign and defence ministers, as well as the chiefs of staff, of the three countries will attend the meeting in Istanbul, the ministry source said.
“International security issues will be on the agenda,” the source said, with discussions expected to cover enhancing defence capabilities, greater interoperability among their armed forces and deepening cooperation in the defence industry, including joint production and development.
Regional powers are looking to strengthen security ties against the backdrop of the US-Israel war on Iran, which started on February 28, and has had a major impact on the region — drawing in several Gulf countries and paralysing maritime traffic through the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
Iran has launched multiple attacks on regional countries housing US bases and has also warned states against allowing their territory or facilities to be used for Washington’s attacks on Tehran.
Pakistan has been in the spotlight since the war began as it has played the role of a key mediator between the warring US and Iran.
Six months after the US and Israel launched the war against Iran, negotiations are at an impasse and President Donald Trump’s administration has stepped up efforts to punish Iran financially with what it has billed as an “economic D-Day”.
Turkiye, which has Nato’s second-largest military, has said the pact with nuclear-armed Pakistan and top oil exporter Saudi Arabia was open to expansion — with Egypt as a potential candidate — and did not seek to replace existing alliances.
In recent months, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Egypt formed a group to address regional issues, namely the war on Iran. Turkiye has said the group — dubbed the R4 — aims to solidify its partnership through concrete mechanisms.
Turkiye President Erdogan had said that the joint defence pact signed with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan “targets no country and is open to the participation of all brotherly countries”.
In his X post, Erdogan had said: “This agreement, based on collective deterrence, will contribute to advancing our security and defence cooperation, developing joint projects in the defence industry, and combating terrorism.”
“The agreement, which also reaffirms the right of defence as defined in Article 51 of the UN Charter, targets no country and is open to the participation of all brotherly countries that aim for the peace, prosperity, and stability of our region,” he had added.
CDF Munir, Dar in Turkiye
Meanwhile, Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir arrived in Turkiye, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPPR) said.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar also arrived in Istanbul on Sunday for his official engagements, the Foreign Office said.
He was received by Deputy Chief of Staff for Administration Brig Gen Senol Varol, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Turkiye Dr Yousaf Junaid, Ambassador Cihad Erginay of the Turkish MFA, and other senior officials of the Turkish government.
