Pakistan's Foreign Ministry stated that the tripartite defense agreement signed today between Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan includes a mutual defense clause, whereby an armed attack on any one party is considered an attack on all three. The signing was confirmed by sources in Turkey and Pakistan.
Pakistan's Foreign Ministry confirmed Friday that the tripartite defense agreement signed earlier today between Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan includes a mutual defense clause, stipulating that an armed attack on any of the three countries is considered an attack on all. The confirmation came after the signing ceremony in Mecca, which The Zioneer reported at 15:11 Jerusalem time.
Initial reports of the signing emerged at 14:11 Jerusalem, with sources in Turkey and Pakistan confirming the pact. The Zioneer reported the agreement as the 'Mecca Agreement,' including a mutual defense clause and open to additional members. At the same time, a Turkish official stated the pact is not directed against any specific actor. Video footage of the signing ceremony was released at 15:11 Jerusalem. Earlier in the day, at 13:08 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported that Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Mecca ahead of the signing.
The Zioneer has extensively covered Pakistan's role as a regional mediator and its security alignment with Saudi Arabia. In July, Pakistan reportedly warned Iran that any attack on Saudi Arabia would be considered an attack on itself. The tripartite pact formalizes this alignment, bringing together NATO's second-largest military, the Gulf's leading economic power, and the Muslim world's only nuclear-armed state.
The full text of the agreement has not been released, and it remains unclear how the mutual defense clause will be implemented in practice. Pakistani and Turkish officials have stated the pact is not directed against any specific party and remains open for additional countries to join.
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Source and signal
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