Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan to hold first defense pact meeting in Istanbul: What to know

Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are set to hold their first defense meeting on Monday-a move aimed at strengthening defense cooperation, military capabilities and coordination among the three countries, according to a Turkish Foreign Ministry source said today.

The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement signed on August 7 brought together Sunni Muslim allies concerned by the broader regional war and regional conflict that has led to Iranian missile fire on Gulf oil exporters.

The primary motive behind this accord is to strengthen mutual defense against any act of aggression, mandating that an hostile attack on any of the three would be regarded as an attack similar to NATO’s Article 5 collective defense clause.

According to the reports, dialogues centered on upgrading defense readiness, expanding collaboration and deepening cooperation in the defense industry including joint production and development.

The three nations raised concerns about military stances of Israel as their long-time ally the US failed to quell regional interest that has caused a significant global energy crisis.

In light of the geopolitical situations ongoing, Trump’s administration has come forward to penalize Iran financially, what it has billed as an “economic D-Day.”

Nonetheless, the pact with nuclear-armed Pakistan and top oil exporter Saudi Arabia remains open to development with Egypt as a potential candidate without modifying the existing members and terms of the alliance.