Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Sunday that the trilateral defense pact with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan is structured like NATO Article 5, and that Egypt may join the bloc, as reported by N12 journalist Asaf Rozentzweig. Fidan's remarks follow similar statements he made Saturday evening, when he noted the pact had been in preparation for two years and eight months.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stated overnight Sunday that the trilateral defense pact signed by Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan is structured like NATO Article 5 in terms of mutual defense obligations, and that Egypt may eventually join the bloc. The remarks were reported by N12 journalist Asaf Rozentzweig. Fidan's latest comments reiterate and expand on a series of statements he made Saturday evening, when he first described the pact as technically identical to Article 5, clarified it is not aimed at Iran or Israel, and noted that Egypt could join after resolving 'technical issues,' as The Zioneer reported.
On Saturday evening at 20:34 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported that Fidan said the pact includes a ministerial committee and secretariat, and that it is not aimed at any specific country. An Azerbaijani channel later quoted Fidan saying the agreement had been in preparation for two years and eight months. The same source reported Fidan's assertion that the pact's commitments are similar to NATO Article 5. The reporting evolved from initial Israeli media accounts to corroboration by Azerbaijani and N12 outlets.
As The Zioneer reported in an analysis published Saturday night, the Mecca Agreement—signed Friday in Mecca—brings together Saudi financial power, Turkish drone and defense industry capabilities, and Pakistan's large military and nuclear status. The inclusion of Turkey, which maintains a hostile stance toward Israel, creates a complex regional dynamic. Analyst Or Ben Yekhzekel noted Saturday that the 'technical issues' cited by Fidan mask deep political rifts between Ankara and Cairo, including disputes over the Muslim Brotherhood, conflicting maritime claims in the eastern Mediterranean, and opposing positions in Libya's civil war.
The exact mutual defense obligations under the pact remain unclear. Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Asif declined Saturday to specify whether Saudi Arabia and Turkey would be required to join a conflict with India. Egypt's potential membership remains contingent on resolving the political disputes between Ankara and Cairo.
6 developments
- StrongIranian media claims Tehran invited to join Saudi-Turkey-Pakistan defense pact
- StrongAnalysis: Saudi-Turkey-Pakistan defense pact seen boosting India-Israel ties, Greece-Cyprus alignment
- StrongReport: Egypt's refusal to join Mecca pact stems from desire for dominance, not opposition
- DevelopingAnalysis: Muslim defense pact Israel can't ignore raises questions on regional partnerships
Source and signal
- Open-source intake