Turkey's foreign minister pushed back against criticism of the tripartite defense pact signed between Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan, arguing that the same critics do not fault NATO for failing to invoke its Article 5 collective defense clause. 'Nobody criticizes NATO as a paper tiger when Article 5 is not activated,' the minister said, according to a report by The Zioneer.
Turkey's foreign minister on Friday pushed back against criticism of the tripartite defense pact signed by Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan — the 'Mecca Alliance' — arguing that the pact should not be judged more harshly than NATO. 'Nobody criticizes NATO as a paper tiger when Article 5 is not activated,' the minister said, according to a report by The Zioneer. The remarks come amid growing scrutiny of the agreement, which some analysts have described as a 'paper pact' after a Houthi drone strike on a Saudi refinery drew no military response from the pact's members.
Earlier Friday, at 03:35 Jerusalem time, The Zioneer reported that Turkey's military chief of staff is set to travel to Saudi Arabia for a meeting of the alliance, alongside senior Pakistani officials. The announcement of the meeting followed the signing of the pact and the subsequent Houthi attack. On August 10, The Zioneer published analyses questioning the pact's effectiveness, with one analysis by Idit Bar arguing the agreement may be a 'paper pact' given the lack of military response to the Houthi strike.
The Zioneer has previously covered the broader strategic tensions between Israel and Turkey. On August 19, Prime Minister Netanyahu confirmed Israeli military action against Turkish interests in Syria, stating Israel 'made sure Turkey understood' after warnings about its military buildup. On August 22, reports indicated that Turkey formally requested an Interpol Red Notice against Netanyahu, while Netanyahu warned Israel could target Turkish assets without triggering NATO's Article 5. In July, Israel urged NATO states to condemn Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan's characterization of Israelis as 'a burden humanity can no longer bear.' The Mecca Alliance, analyzed by The Zioneer on August 10, is not formally aimed at Israel but raises strategic questions for Jerusalem's regional partnerships, as Saudi Arabia aligns with Turkey and Pakistan.
The treaty's operational significance remains untested. No military response has been made to the Houthi drone strike on the Saudi refinery, and the upcoming chiefs-of-staff meeting has not yet taken place. The Turkish FM's defense, while invoking NATO, does not address the alliance's lack of activation of its mutual defense clause.
4 developments
- DevelopingAnalysis: Muslim defense pact Israel can't ignore raises questions on regional partnerships
- DevelopingPakistan's FM: Defense pact with Turkey, Saudi Arabia purely defensive, not aimed at any country
- StrongQatar rejects joining Saudi-Turkey-Pakistan defense pact; analysis cites caution over Iranian reprisal
- DevelopingAnalysis: Mecca Agreement questioned as 'paper pact' after Houthi drone strike on Saudi refinery
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