Far from being an alternative or rival to NATO, the newly established alliance between Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan is purely defensive and designates no country as an adversary, a Defense Ministry spokesman stressed.
“The main objective of this agreement is to contribute to regional security and stability, enhance military cooperation between our countries and strengthen our ability to act jointly against potential crises,” Zeki Aktürk told reporters at a weekly briefing on Aug. 13.
“This agreement is for defensive purposes and does not define any country as a common enemy or adversary,” he stated.
Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement on Aug. 7, in an attempt to redesign the entire security architecture in the Middle East. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also held a trilateral meeting to discuss regional developments.
Aktürk said the agreement will pave the way for increased cooperation among the three countries and cement it in a more institutionalized and sustainable manner. The founding countries will establish strategic political and military mechanisms and gradually develop military coordination through exercises, training and other activities, he suggested.
“Defense industry cooperation is one of the key elements of the agreement. This includes not only the supply of products and systems, but also joint development and production, technology cooperation and the provision of sustainable maintenance and logistical support,” he explained.
The pact is neither an alternative nor a rival to NATO, but rather a complementary structure within the international security architecture that contributes to regional security and stability, the rear admiral stressed.
“Once the structure has matured, the admission of other countries will be assessed if a necessary consensus is reached,” he added.
