Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia Defence Pact Said to Mirror NATO’s Article 5

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Saturday that the defence pact signed by Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia is technically comparable to NATO’s Article 5 mutual defence principle, while stressing that the agreement is not aimed at Iran.

Fidan said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wants the alliance to expand, with Egypt among the countries that could potentially join in the future.

Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed the “Mecca Joint Defence Agreement” on Friday amid growing regional tensions and concerns among Gulf states following Iranian missile attacks.

Under the agreement, the three countries have pledged to strengthen collective deterrence and consider an armed attack against any one member as an attack against all three.

Speaking to state-run Anadolu, Fidan said the pact was not directed against Iran or any other specific country, but was designed as a broader commitment to safeguard the security of the three members.

He said that if one member comes under attack, the countries would consult on the nature and extent of assistance required. However, he stressed that no country would be regarded as a threat unless it attacks one of the members.

Turkey, which has NATO’s second-largest military, has said the new arrangement remains open to other regional countries and is not intended to replace existing alliances.

“NATO is a giant military alliance where there are 32 countries. We have started here as three countries and we have to take very humble but concrete steps,” Fidan said, noting that negotiations on the pact had continued for around two years and eight months.

He said the alliance would establish a ministerial-level committee similar to NATO’s structure, along with a general secretariat headquartered in Saudi Arabia. Further operational arrangements will be determined at the committee’s first meeting.

Fidan said Erdogan’s vision was for the alliance to eventually expand beyond the three founding members and bring more countries in the region under the same framework. He added that Egypt could become a potential member once outstanding technical issues are addressed.

Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Egypt have also recently worked together on regional issues through the R4 grouping, which Ankara says is intended to strengthen cooperation through practical mechanisms.

Fidan further said Turkey should participate in an international coalition aimed at protecting commercial shipping in the Red Sea from Houthi attacks, arguing that the safety of maritime trade is directly linked to Turkey’s interests.