Türkiye, Mecca pact allies to discuss regional security in Riyadh

ANKARA

The inaugural meeting of the Strategic, Political and Defense Committee established under the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, Istanbul, Türkiye, Aug, 31, 2026. (İHA Photo)

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will attend a meeting on Oct. 5 in Riyadh of a committee overseeing a joint defense alliance between Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, Turkish sources said.

Defense Minister Yaşar Güler and Chief of General Staff Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu will also attend the meeting in the Saudi capital, according to diplomatic sources.

The Strategic Political and Defense Committee was established under the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, signed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif in Mecca on Aug. 7.

Fidan is expected to present Türkiye’s views on institutionalizing the alliance and steps to be taken in the coming days, as well as assessments of threats to peace and stability in the Middle East, the sources said.

He is also expected to discuss regional developments affecting the collective security of the three allies.

Fidan will reaffirm Türkiye’s “strong solidarity and support” for Saudi Arabia in the face of recent attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels and stress that “provocative actions targeting holy sites are unacceptable,” according to the sources.

He is expected to emphasize that resolving regional disputes through peaceful means remains a priority and that steps that could further escalate tensions should be avoided.

The Mecca pact commits the three countries to developing regional solutions to regional problems and reflects their shared strategic vision of strengthening security and stability through collective deterrence and defense.

The committee, comprising the three countries’ foreign and defense ministers and chiefs of general staff, is responsible for guiding activities under the agreement.

Its first meeting was held in Istanbul on Aug. 31, hosted by Türkiye. The participants took foundational decisions and reviewed technical work to institutionalize the alliance, including plans to establish its secretariat in Riyadh as soon as possible.

Retired Pakistani Lt. Gen. Nauman Mahmood was nominated to serve as the alliance’s first secretary-general.

The foreign ministers of the three countries also met in New York on Sept. 24 on the sidelines of the 81st U.N. General Assembly. A joint statement issued afterward condemned attacks targeting the holy city of Mecca and Saudi Arabia’s civilian and economic infrastructure.

The three countries’ chiefs of general staff met in Riyadh the following day.