Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan will hold a first committee meeting in Istanbul on Monday under their joint defence accord, a Turkish foreign ministry source said. The meeting will bring together foreign and defence ministers and the chiefs of staff of the three countries. The agenda includes international security issues, defence capabilities, interoperability and defence-industry cooperation. The pact, signed on Aug. 7, says an armed attack on one of the three would be treated as an attack on all.
From left, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif pose after signing a joint defence agreement in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Aug. 7. AFP-Yonhap
ISTANBUL — Top officials from Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan will gather in Istanbul on Monday for a first committee meeting under the joint defence accord that they signed this month, a Turkish foreign ministry source said.
The "Mecca Joint Defence Agreement", signed on Aug. 7, brought together Sunni Muslim U.S. allies concerned by the Iran war and regional conflict that has led to Iranian missile fire on Gulf oil exporters.
It is intended to strengthen collective deterrence against any act of aggression and stipulates that an armed attack against any of the three would be regarded as an attack on all, similar to NATO's Article 5 collective defence clause.
