UNS: A defence agreement between Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan could eventually expand into a broader security pact involving other Muslim-majority countries, including Iran, Turkish Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş said on Friday.
The three countries signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement (MJDA) in August. Similar to NATO’s Article 5, the agreement stipulates that an attack on one member would be treated as an attack on all.
Kurtulmuş said the agreement was not directed against any particular country and was instead intended to strengthen regional security.
“We never see the Makkah Agreement as a pact against Iran,” he told reporters in Ankara. “It must not be that way. Iran can join this agreement too.”
He said Ankara hoped the agreement could eventually develop into a wider defence framework for the Muslim world, with additional regional countries participating.
The pact is currently undergoing preparatory discussions, with parliamentary approval still required for it to formally take effect.
Kurtulmuş said he expected the agreement to be presented to Türkiye’s parliament after lawmakers return from recess in October.
Officials from Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have been holding meetings to determine the agreement’s framework and assess Riyadh’s defence requirements.
Türkiye has previously indicated that it could assist Saudi Arabia with military and technical needs. However, officials have said that any support at this stage would largely remain bilateral, as the joint defence agreement has yet to be ratified.
The military chiefs of Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan are also expected to meet to discuss practical measures for strengthening defence cooperation under the agreement.
