Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey Name Defence Alliance ‘Makkah Defence Alliance’
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Istanbul (Terror Monitor) — Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey have agreed to officially name their trilateral defence alliance the Makkah Defence Alliance, with the first secretary-general of the alliance to be appointed from Pakistan.
According to Radio Pakistan, the decision was taken during a meeting of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee established under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, held in Istanbul on Monday.
Speaking to journalists in Istanbul after the meeting, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the alliance’s secretariat would be established in the Saudi capital, Riyadh.
Fidan said the Makkah Defence Alliance would be institutionalized as a formal framework aimed at promoting regional peace, security, stability and prosperity.
According to the Turkish foreign minister, the alliance would be based on the principles of defence and international law, including respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states and non-interference in their internal affairs.
Fidan emphasized that the alliance was not directed against any particular country and said other friendly states could also join the framework if they adhered to its founding principles.
He said the Makkah Defence Alliance would complement other alliances and security arrangements of which its member states are already part, while reflecting their commitment to regional peace and security.
Pakistan-Turkey Defence Cooperation
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif met with Turkey’s Minister of National Defence Yaşar Güler in Istanbul on Monday.
The meeting took place ahead of the first session of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee established under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
During the meeting, Khawaja Asif and the Turkish leadership agreed to further strengthen joint defence cooperation and coordination in the region.
General Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu, Chief of the Turkish General Staff, also attended the meeting.
The establishment of the Makkah Defence Alliance marks a new institutional framework for defence cooperation among Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, with the three countries emphasizing regional security, sovereignty, territorial integrity and cooperation under international law.
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