Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey sign joint defense agreement

Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey signed a joint defense pact in Mecca on August 7. Reuters reported that the agreement united the Sunni allies of the United States at a time when missile attacks on oil-exporting countries in the Gulf have been carried out.

Since the United States and Israel began a war with Iran on February 28, Iran and its allies have been attacking Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states, disrupting their energy supplies.

The parties said in a joint statement that the agreement aims to strengthen a joint response to any aggression. According to the document, an armed attack on one of the three countries is considered an attack on all.

The "Mecca Joint Defense Agreement" did not specify the specific obligations of each party. However, it said that the agreement aims to strengthen collective security and ensure peace in the region and beyond.

According to a Turkish official, "The agreement includes a collective defense clause. It is only defensive in nature and provides for mutual assistance for defense only."

The official added that the agreement is not aimed at any specific country. It is open to other countries in the region and does not repeal existing bilateral or multilateral agreements.

Nevertheless, the three countries are concerned about the increasingly aggressive military actions of Israel and Shiite Iran. The United States is struggling to contain this unrest in the region.

**A powerful political symbol**

"The political significance of this summit is very high. The three most influential countries in the Muslim world have gathered at a difficult time. This shows the willingness of regional powers to cooperate more closely on security issues," said Abdulaziz Sager, head of the Gulf Research Center in Saudi Arabia.

He added that if this trilateral format becomes a permanent cooperation, it will increase the diplomatic and defense power of the three countries. It also contributes to the formation of a regional security system.

For information, Turkey has the second largest army in NATO. Saudi Arabia is the most powerful country in the Gulf, the site of Islam's holiest sites, and one of the world's leading oil exporters. Pakistan is the only Muslim country with nuclear weapons. Before welcoming Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Army Chief Asim Munir performed Umrah in Mecca.

They then met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Since the war began on February 28, Saudi Arabia has been repeatedly attacked by Iran, the Houthis in Yemen, and Shiite groups in Iraq.