
Turkey to host first ministerial meeting of Mecca defense pact signatories
Turkey will host the first ministerial meeting of the Mecca defense pact signatories in Istanbul on Monday. The defense agreement was signed on August 7 in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, by Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Turkish Head of State Recep Tayyip Erdogan. This initial meeting aims to establish a "Strategic Political and Defense Committee," comprising the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defense, as well as the Chiefs of Staff of the three countries, to provide strategic direction for future activities. The pact unites Turkey, the second-largest army in NATO; Saudi Arabia, a major Gulf power; and Pakistan, the only nuclear power in the Muslim world. The Istanbul meeting will be chaired by Turkish Ministers of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan and Defense Ya艧ar G眉ler, along with Chief of Staff General Sel莽uk Bayraktaro臒lu. Pakistan will be represented by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ishaq Dar, the Federal Minister of Defense, and the Commander of the Defense Forces. Saudi Arabia will send Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, the Minister of Defense, and the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces. Discussions will cover international security, strengthening defense capabilities, military interoperability, and cooperation in defense industries. Turkey reiterated that an attack on any signatory state would be considered an attack on all parties.



