ISTANBUL (The Thursday Times) — The defence pact signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye three weeks ago will be known as the Makkah Defence Alliance, its secretariat has been established in Riyadh, and its first secretary general will be appointed from among Pakistanis, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan announced in Istanbul on Monday.
Fidan gave the details at a press conference following the inaugural meeting of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee, the body created under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement. He said the process of building the alliance’s institutional structure had begun that day, and that the meeting had taken decisions on how and when to start institutionalisation. He described the session as an exchange of views on the concrete steps needed to implement the agreement.
The three countries each sent their foreign minister, defence minister and military chief to the meeting at Istanbul’s Çırağan Palace. Pakistan was represented by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir. Türkiye was represented by Fidan, National Defence Minister Yaşar Güler and Chief of the General Staff General Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu. Saudi Arabia sent Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman and Chief of General Staff General Fayyadh bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili.
Munir attended in his combined capacity as Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff, the tri-service office he has held since December. Ahead of the trilateral session he met Güler separately, in a meeting the Turkish defence ministry publicised on X.
The alliance’s early work programme extends beyond consultation. Reporting on the meeting indicates the agenda covered strengthening joint efforts against terrorism and cooperation in the defence industry, including joint production and research and development. Participants also addressed boosting defence capabilities and the interoperability of the three armed forces.
A roadmap is being prepared for other countries to join. Fidan said the alliance had been established with the goal of expanding, that it was open to the participation of any country willing to adhere to its principles, and that it was not directed against any state, resting instead on respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity and non-interference in internal affairs. Egypt has been named by Fidan as a possible member since the signing, and <a href=”URL” style=”color:#F47B20;font-weight:600;”>Bangladesh has said it sees no risk in joining</a> while confirming it has received no formal invitation. India’s Ministry of External Affairs has said it is monitoring the pact and examining it from the perspective of national security and regional stability.
The meeting took place against a widening conflict. Attacks between the United States and Iran resumed in recent days after a lull of about a month, in a war that began with American and Israeli strikes on Iran on 28 February and has now run for more than six months.
The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement was signed on 7 August by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. It provides that an armed attack against any one of the three shall be treated as an attack against them all. It builds on the Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed in Riyadh in September 2025, which Munir also attended.
Several bilateral meetings ran alongside the main session. Asif held talks with Güler, with Bayraktaroğlu in attendance, and Radio Pakistan reported that the two sides agreed to enhance joint defence cooperation in the region. Fidan met his Saudi counterpart on the margins, and had already held talks with Dar on Sunday, when the Pakistani delegation arrived in Türkiye.
