Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan Sign Historic Defense Pact: “An Attack on One Is an Attack on All,

Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan signed a landmark trilateral defense agreement in Makkah on Friday, under which an armed attack on any one of the three countries will be considered an attack on all three. The pact, dubbed the “Makkah Agreement,” was signed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. According to a joint statement, the agreement aims to strengthen collective defense, military cooperation, regional stability, and shared security.
The deal was reached during a high-level meeting hosted by Saudi Arabia. The joint statement said it was built on the three nations’ “deep historical ties, longstanding brotherly relations, Islamic solidarity, shared strategic interests, and strong defense cooperation,” adding that an armed attack against one state “will be considered an attack against all three states.”
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry confirmed the agreement, saying it aims to strengthen collective deterrence and deepen strategic defense cooperation among the three countries, opening new avenues for cooperation in defense, intelligence, security, and related fields.
The Turkish delegation included Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, National Intelligence Organization chief İbrahim Kalın, Turkey’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia Ümit Yalçın, and Presidential Chief of Staff Hasan Doğan. The agreement comes amid heightened security tensions in the Middle East, including ongoing military tensions, disputes involving Iran, Red Sea attacks, and regional security threats. Saudi Arabia reportedly faced multiple security challenges in recent months, including drone and missile attacks, increasing the perceived need for regional defense partnerships.
Saudi Arabia and Pakistan had already signed a bilateral defense agreement in 2025 that drew global attention, given Pakistan’s status as the Muslim world’s only nuclear power. With Turkey’s inclusion, this cooperation has now been formalized into a trilateral defense framework. Analysts say the pact could elevate defense ties among the three nations and influence the regional balance of power.