Erdoğan casts new regional defense pact as ‘historic responsibility’
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said a new defense agreement between Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan reflects a “grave historical responsibility” to help secure the Middle East, while insisting the pact is not directed against any country.
“The Mecca Joint Defense Agreement is the fruit of this understanding; it goes beyond being a mere consensus among the three countries to become an initiative for us to assume a grave historical responsibility in achieving stability for the region and providing security and safety for its sisterly and friendly peoples,” Erdoğan said in written responses to questions from Asharq Al-Awsat.
He said the defense deal, signed with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif last week, should not be viewed simply as a response to rising tensions between the United States and Iran.
The agreement marked a first step toward greater regional ownership of security and could eventually expand to include other countries, he added.
