Mecca Defense Pact Eyes Expansion With Muslim Nations

Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan have launched the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, with a meeting of high-ranking officials held in Istanbul on Monday. The pact, signed August 7, establishes that an armed attack on one signatory will be considered an attack on all, mirroring NATO's Article 5.

Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar stated that six to seven Muslim-majority countries have expressed interest in joining the alliance, with Bangladesh recently signaling openness. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan indicated that Egypt might also be invited.

Fidan described the Mecca Alliance as a complementary mechanism to NATO, not a rival. "The Mecca Alliance constitutes a historic step based on the principle of defense and complementary to NATO," he said. Ankara is developing a roadmap for new members.

The alliance unites three U.S. allies: Turkey, Pakistan (a nuclear power), and Saudi Arabia (a major oil exporter). Fidan also strongly criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing him of prolonging regional conflicts and posing a "major threat to the entire region and the international community," calling him a "criminal" pursuing "genocidal and occupying" policies. These remarks were made without new factual evidence.

Ankara maintains the Mecca Agreement is open to new members and does not aim to replace existing alliances. Former U.S. President Donald Trump had previously praised the pact's signing as a step towards self-defense for the participating nations.