ANKARA: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said the defence agreement signed between Turkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia is open to the participation of all brotherly countries seeking peace, prosperity and stability in the region.
In a statement, Erdoğan said he visited Makkah at the invitation of Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, where he met with the Saudi leader and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif before signing the trilateral defence agreement.
Erdoğan said the pact, based on collective defence capabilities, would further strengthen security and defence cooperation among the three countries. He added that it would support joint projects in the defence industry and enhance cooperation against terrorism.
The Turkish president said the agreement reaffirms the right to self-defence outlined in Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, stressing that the pact is not directed against any country.
He said Turkiye would continue to support resolving conflicts and crises through dialogue and diplomacy, expressing hope that the agreement would become a source of peace, stability and prosperity for the entire region.
Meanwhile, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said the agreement would contribute to regional peace and have positive effects across the region.
Faisal said the joint defence pact reflects Saudi Arabia’s strong relations with Pakistan and Turkiye and represents an important milestone in defence cooperation. He added that the Makkah Defence Agreement demonstrates a shared political commitment to protecting peace and stability.
Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkiye signed the agreement in Makkah, under which an armed attack against any one of the three countries would be considered an attack against all three nations.