Turkey: Pak, Saudi Defence Pact Same as NATO's Article 5 Agreement

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said a new defence pact signed by Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia was technically comparable to NATO’s Article 5 collective-defence commitment. Under the agreement, an armed attack against any of the three signatories would be treated as an attack on all, strengthening their collective deterrence and security cooperation.

The three countries signed the “Mecca Joint Defence Agreement” on Friday amid heightened regional tensions and security concerns across the Middle East. In a joint statement, the signatories said the pact was intended to deter aggression and provide mutual support. Fidan stressed that the alliance was not directed against Iran or any other country and should be viewed as a general security commitment.

Speaking to Turkey’s state-run Anadolu news agency, Fidan said the allies would consult one another after any attack to determine the extent and form of assistance required. He added that no country would automatically be classified as a threat unless it attacked one of the member states, allowing the alliance to decide its response according to the circumstances.

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Fidan said negotiations to finalise the agreement had continued for two years and eight months. The alliance plans to create a ministerial committee similar to NATO’s structure and establish a general secretariat in Saudi Arabia. Operational arrangements, including how members would coordinate and provide assistance during a crisis, are expected to be discussed at the committee’s first meeting.

Turkey, which has NATO’s second-largest military, said the new pact would neither replace existing alliances nor remain permanently restricted to three countries. Fidan said President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wanted the grouping to expand and bring other regional nations under its framework. Egypt was identified as a potential member once outstanding technical matters were resolved.

Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Egypt have also recently formed a regional grouping known as the R4 to address shared security concerns through practical cooperation. Separately, Fidan said Turkey should participate in an international coalition protecting commercial shipping in the Red Sea from Houthi attacks, arguing that the safety of maritime trade routes directly affected Ankara’s economic and strategic interests.

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