Turkey Confirms Mecca Accord with Pakistan, Saudi Arabia Mirrors NATO’s Article 5

According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, Hakan Fidan, Turkey‘s Minister of Foreign Affairs, announced on Saturday that the defense agreement reached with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, referred to as the Mecca Accord, is technically analogous to Article 5 of the NATO charter concerning collective defense. He elaborated that under this agreement with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, a secretariat and a ministerial committee will be established, following the structural model of NATO.

The Turkish Foreign Minister further clarified that Iran is not the target of this defense agreement, and it will not be considered a target unless one of the member states is attacked. He emphasized the critical importance of maritime security in the Red Sea for Turkey’s interests, highlighting the necessity of participating in an international coalition led by Saudi Arabia.

Hakan Fidan added that Egypt may potentially join this joint defense agreement after the resolution of certain technical issues.

It is noteworthy that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan signed the joint defense agreement, which they named the Mecca Pact, on Friday, August 7, 2026.

Previously, Cevdet Yılmaz, the Vice President of Turkey, had commented on the accord, stating that the defense agreement signed with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan is not directed against Iran. He asserted that the pact is aimed at bolstering regional security, collective defense, and deterrence, rather than targeting Iran or any other nation.