Saudi ⁠Arabia, Pakistan and Turkiye sign defence deal amid regional turmoil

The agreement states that an ⁠attack on any one of the ⁠three countries is an ⁠attack against them all, Pakistan says.

Saudi ⁠Arabia, Pakistan and Turkiye have signed a ⁠joint defence agreement, deepening ‌security cooperation amid heightened military tensions and conflicts in the Middle East.

A joint statement shared by Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Saudi state media on Friday says the agreement states ⁠that an armed ⁠attack on any one of the ⁠three countries would be ⁠regarded as an ⁠attack against them all.

It reflects “the three states’ shared commitment to further strengthening their collective security and to promoting peace, security, and stability in the region and beyond, in pursuit of a secure and prosperous future,” the statement added.

The deal comes a day after Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, accompanied by powerful army chief Asim Munir, arrived in Saudi Arabia and performed the Umrah pilgrimage in Mecca.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also travelled to Saudi Arabia on Friday to meet Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, whose country has been struck repeatedly by Iran, as well as by Tehran’s Houthi allies in Yemen and Shia armed groups in Iraq, since the US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28.

The conflict has imperilled Saudi Arabia’s oil exports and ⁠ambitious development plans, and raises big questions about the reliability of its longstanding US security umbrella.

While Turkiye and Pakistan have avoided significant direct attacks, both are anxious to calm regional conflicts that threaten their security and economies.

The deal, named the “Mecca Joint Defence Agreement”, follows nearly a year of negotiations. Sealing the agreement in Mecca, the holiest site in Islam, adds symbolic heft to a pact that builds on longstanding bilateral military ties.

Pakistan has provided training and technical assistance to Saudi forces for decades, while Turkiye and Pakistan have exchanged warships ⁠and training aircraft. In 2023, Riyadh agreed to buy Turkish drones in what Ankara called its largest defence export contract.

Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Minister for Public Diplomacy, Rayed Krimly, said the pact is not a threat to any country in the region. “The agreement does not represent any intention to build a military axis or a sectarian/religious bloc,” he posted on X, adding that it is “not linked to nuclear ambitions or an arms race, but rather to building sustainable, self-reliant capabilities.”

But Iranian MP Ebrahim Rezaei warned Riyadh that it would take more than the pact to achieve regional security. In a post on X, he said: “Saudis must know that a paper agreement with Turkiye and Pakistan will not bring them security, just as years of one-sided nursing to the Americans did not bring them security.”

“Reform your policies so that you do not need to beg for security from others,” added Rezaei.

Al Jazeera’s Osama Bin Javaid, reporting from the Qatari capital, Doha, said the pact “essentially puts three of the largest Muslim populations together”, marking the beginning of a “different security architecture” in the region.

“Pakistan brings with it, obviously, its nuclear arsenal, battle-hardened military, and munitions it has been supplying,” Bin Javaid said. “Turkiye, with its advanced drone and munitions systems, is a NATO member, combined with the economic power of Saudi Arabia.”

Reporting from the Turkish capital, Ankara, Al Jazeera’s Resul Serdar Atas said that while the deal was purely defensive, such agreements bring about cooperation in other sectors, too. “It’s all about the trust now,” Serdar said. “There are expectations in Ankara that this will also boost economic ties with Riyadh and Islamabad.”

Abdulaziz Alghashian, a senior non-resident fellow at the Gulf International Forum, told Al Jazeera that the tripartite alliance sought to merge “deterrence and diplomacy”. While the pact is not against any specific actor, the analyst said it was a formula to move the region towards more stability.

Retired Pakistani major-general Zahid Mahmood expressed a similar view, saying the intent was “collective security”. By joining forces, the three signatories would “collectively approach the challenges the region is facing, and… help achieve stability and peace,” he said.