Makkah Defence Pact Could Expand to Include Iran, Turkish Parliament Speaker Says
- Numan Kurtulmuş says the agreement between Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan is not directed against Iran.
- He hopes other Muslim countries, including Iran, could eventually join the pact.
- The agreement is expected to reach Türkiye’s parliament after it returns from recess in October.
The defence agreement signed by Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan could eventually expand to include Iran and other Muslim countries, Turkish Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş said on Friday.
Speaking to reporters in Ankara, Kurtulmuş said the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement was intended to strengthen regional security and should not be viewed as a pact against Tehran. He expressed hope that it could develop into a broader arrangement with the participation of more countries in the region.
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The three countries signed the agreement in August. It states that an attack on one signatory would be treated as an attack on all three, although the pact has yet to complete the approval process needed for it to take effect in Türkiye.
Kurtulmuş said the meetings now taking place under the agreement were preparatory. International agreements require parliamentary approval, he said, adding that he expected the pact to come before Türkiye’s parliament after lawmakers return from recess in October.
The signatories have been discussing how the agreement would work and assessing Saudi Arabia’s security needs following attacks by Yemen’s Houthi group. Turkish officials have said Ankara could help meet some of Riyadh’s military needs, particularly in technical areas, but any assistance at this stage would be handled largely through bilateral channels.
Military chiefs from Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan are also expected to meet to discuss potential support for Riyadh.
