Mecca Defence Alliance open to all regional states, Turkish FM says

The Mecca Defence Alliance is open to all countries in the region, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said following the first meeting of the bloc’s Strategic Political and Defence Committee in Istanbul.

“The Mecca Pact has officially been named the Mecca Defence Alliance. With the signed agreement, the process of creating a new architecture of security and cooperation in our region has begun. The pact is open to the participation of all countries in the region,” Fidan said.

The inaugural committee meeting brought together the foreign and defence ministers and chiefs of general staff of countries that have signed the Mecca Agreement.

The pact was signed on August 7 by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Under the agreement, an attack against one member is to be considered an act of aggression against all participating countries, establishing a collective-defence principle among the signatories.

Fidan said the agreement marks the beginning of efforts to establish a new regional framework for security and cooperation, while emphasizing that the alliance remains open to further participation from countries across the region.

By Vafa Guliyeva