Turkish sources quoted by local media outlets confirmed on Friday that a defense pact was signed with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan as President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan departed for Saudi Arabia in the morning in a visit announced only hours ago.
Sources said that the joint defense agreement would reflect the shared will against military threats and security challenges and be based on regional ownership. “This deal aims to ensure the security of the territories of the three countries and deter threats, and it is exclusively a defense agreement in its core,” sources said. Sources close to the Saudi military and government have earlier confirmed the agreement to Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Regional powers are looking to strengthen security ties against a backdrop of war between the United States and Iran, which has drawn in Gulf states and disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea.
"It was under discussion for a long time but the latest developments in the region expedites it," the source speaking to AFP said on condition of anonymity.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met Erdoğan and was scheduled to meet Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in the Red Sea city of Jeddah. Sharif and Pakistan's army chief Asim Munir arrived in the kingdom on Thursday for a visit lasting until Saturday.
