ISTANBUL: Senior officials from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye will meet in Istanbul on Monday for the first committee session following the signing of a trilateral defence agreement earlier this month, according to a Turkish foreign ministry source.
The meeting will bring together the foreign and defence ministers and military chiefs of the three countries, with regional and international security matters expected to feature prominently on the agenda.
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement on August 7 in the presence of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The agreement aims to enhance collective deterrence and declares that aggression against any one of the three signatories would be treated as aggression against all three, drawing comparisons with Nato’s collective defence principle under Article 5.
According to the Turkish source, Monday’s discussions will focus on strengthening military capabilities, improving coordination and interoperability between the armed forces, and expanding defence-industry collaboration through joint production and development projects.
The trilateral initiative comes amid growing security concerns across the region following the US-Israel war with Iran, which began on February 28 and has affected several Gulf states and disrupted shipping through the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.
Iran has carried out attacks targeting regional locations hosting US military facilities and warned neighbouring states against allowing their territory or installations to facilitate American military operations.
Pakistan has remained diplomatically engaged in the crisis, playing a mediating role between Washington and Tehran.
Meanwhile, months after the conflict began, diplomatic efforts remain stalled, while the administration of US President Donald Trump has intensified economic pressure on Iran.
Turkiye, which possesses Nato’s second-largest military, has indicated that the defence arrangement could eventually expand to include other countries, with Egypt reportedly among potential participants. Ankara has stressed that the agreement is not intended to replace existing alliances.
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Egypt have also established the R4 grouping to coordinate on major regional issues, particularly the Iran conflict, with Ankara saying the platform seeks to develop closer cooperation through practical mechanisms.
President Erdogan previously said the trilateral defence agreement was not directed against any country and remained open to other friendly states seeking regional peace and stability.
He said the pact would strengthen collective deterrence, deepen security and defence cooperation, promote joint defence-industry projects and support efforts against terrorism.
Erdogan also noted that the agreement reaffirmed the parties’ right to self-defence under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter.
