Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are due to hold talks in Riyadh on Oct. 5 on regional security and the development of their joint defense alliance, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Defense Minister Yaşar Güler and Chief of General Staff Gen. Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu will attend the Strategic Political and Defense Committee meeting.
The committee was formed under the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, signed on Aug. 7.
The talks will review efforts to build the alliance’s institutions and strengthen collective deterrence, while seeking diplomatic solutions to regional disputes.
Fidan is expected to reaffirm Türkiye’s support for Saudi Arabia in the face of recent attacks by Yemen’s Houthis and stress that provocations targeting holy sites are unacceptable, ministry sources said.
He is also expected to emphasize freedom and security of navigation along international trade routes and urge restraint to prevent further escalation.
The sources said he would criticize what Ankara describes as Israel’s actions undermining regional peace and stability.
The committee first met in Istanbul on Aug. 31, when the countries agreed to establish a secretariat in Saudi Arabia.
The August meeting also agreed that a Pakistani secretary-general would initially lead the secretariat for three years.
They also pledged to expand defense industry cooperation, joint technology development and production to help their armed forces operate together.
The three countries’ foreign ministers met in New York on Sept. 24, followed by talks between their military chiefs in Riyadh the next day.
