Turkish parliament committee approves Makkah defence pact with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia
Türkiye is the last of the three signatories to ratify the August pact, which officials in Ankara call defensive and open to other regional states.
Running story
The Makkah Pact
The joint defence pact between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye: its terms, its reach, and its first tests with Iran and the Houthis.
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Yesterday
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21:27
SAUDI
Houthis claim strike on Saudi defence ministry as Pakistan vows to defend kingdom ‘with full force’
Saudi air defences intercepted two missiles over Riyadh after the Houthis also claimed a hit on the Ras Tanura refinery, as Türkiye moved to ratify the Makkah defence pact.
Monday 26 October 2026
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21:43
INTERNATIONAL
Pezeshkian urges regional unity as Makkah Pact countries agree to keep talking with Iran
Iran’s president urged Islamic countries to “stand together” as he hosted Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye in Tehran, and the four agreed to continue talks after their first meeting.
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19:27
INTERNATIONAL
Makkah Pact delegation opens talks with Iran’s leadership in Tehran
Saudi Arabia’s defence minister, Field Marshal Asim Munir and Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin began talks with Iran’s leadership on Monday, as Riyadh called for negotiations to prevent a renewed war.
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13:01
INTERNATIONAL
Pakistani, Saudi and Turkish chiefs to hold first Makkah Pact talks with Iran
Field Marshal Asim Munir, Prince Khalid bin Salman and Ibrahim Kalin are set to meet Iran’s leadership in Tehran, in talks a senior Iranian official says Pakistan initiated.
Wednesday 21 October 2026
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19:15
DEFENSE
Makkah defence pact text shows a ten-year lock-in and a Pakistani first in line to run its secretariat
The 16-article agreement between Türkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia treats an attack on one as an attack on all, bars withdrawal for a decade and gives Pakistan the first turn as secretary-general.
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18:28
DEFENSE
Türkiye plans parliamentary mandate to deploy military personnel to Saudi Arabia
An AK Party lawmaker told Reuters the request would follow ratification of the Makkah defence pact, which Ankara sent to parliament on Tuesday. There has been no official confirmation from Ankara, Riyadh or Islamabad.
Monday 19 October 2026
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22:53
INTERNATIONAL
Field Marshal Asim Munir and Saudi envoy discuss defence cooperation at GHQ
Saudi Arabia's newly appointed ambassador Rajeh Tami Albugamy called on Field Marshal Asim Munir in Rawalpindi, with both sides citing progress under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement.
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18:07
ANALYSIS
Inside the Makkah alliance: DG ISPR on expansion, legal basis and the Muslim world’s test
DG ISPR Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry details the Makkah alliance's secretariat, its Article 51 legal basis, and a maritime coalition spanning Hormuz and Bab al-Mandeb, in an interview with Independent Arabia.
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18:06
INTERNATIONAL
DG ISPR says Pakistan is talking to Iran to break the region’s escalation cycle
DG ISPR Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry says Islamabad has kept channels open to Tehran for months, warning that the region's repeating escalation cycle serves only those seeking chaos.
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18:06
DEFENSE
Pakistan will do whatever it takes to defend Saudi Arabia, says DG ISPR
Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry tells Independent Arabia that Saudi sovereignty and the Two Holy Mosques are non-negotiable, and that the Makkah alliance's collective-deterrence clause is already in effect.
Friday 16 October 2026
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16:09
INTERNATIONAL
Pakistan stands “shoulder to shoulder” with Saudi Arabia: Shehbaz Sharif
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has reaffirmed that Pakistan stands "shoulder to shoulder" with Saudi Arabia in safeguarding its sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, in a meeting in Islamabad with the newly arrived Saudi Ambassador, Dr Rajeh Tami Albugamy.
