Türkiye has unveiled plans for joint military exercises and defence production with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan under a new security pact that includes a collective defence clause.
The Turkish Ministry of National Defence said on Thursday that the recently signed Mecca Joint Defence Agreement would establish high-level “coordination mechanisms” involving the three countries’ defence and foreign ministers, chiefs of general staff and armed forces commanders.
Military cooperation will be stepped up in stages, starting with command-post and field exercises before moving on to joint drills involving land, naval and air forces, along with air-defence units and unmanned systems, ministry spokesman Zeki Aktürk said.
The agreement, he added, also calls for deeper defence-industry cooperation, including the joint development and production of weapons systems, technology sharing and long-term maintenance and logistics support.
Unmanned and autonomous systems, including drones, as well as electronic warfare and AI-driven capabilities have been identified as priority areas, the spokesman said.
The pact was signed in Mecca last week amid heightened regional tensions by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The agreement includes a collective defence clause stipulating that an armed attack against any of the three signatory states would be regarded as an attack against all.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has said the principle is similar to NATO’s Article 5, while stressing that the tripartite pact is not aimed at Iran or any other country.
He also said members would first consult on the form and scale of assistance sought in the event that any of them cameunder external attack.
Türkiye, a key NATO member with the alliance’s second-largest military, has sought to play down suggestions that the new arrangement might compete with or even replace NATO.
According to the Turkish Ministry of National Defence, the Mecca agreement should instead be viewed as a mechanism that “complements” the existing international security architecture by contributing to regional stability.
Erdoğan, meanwhile, has said the pact could eventually be expanded beyond its three founding members.
In recent remarks, Fidan named Egypt, where he is on a two-day visit, as a potential new member, although officials have said any enlargement would require the agreement of existing members.
Saudi and Pakistani officials have also described the agreement as “defensive in nature,” insisting that it is not meant to replace existing bilateral or multilateral security commitments.
Russian drone strikes killed five people and injured 24 others in Sumy, northeastern Ukraine, the country's National Police said on Telegram. I...
Overnight Iranian strikes on an air base in Jordan damaged multiple U.S. aircraft and left one without a wing, American media reported. Meanwhile, ...
Azerbaijan's education system is showing some of its strongest signs of progress in years, with the latest ...
Four people were killed, including a child, in Ukrainian strikes on the Russian port city of Novorossiysk overnight, according to the governor of the Krasnodar region. Ukraine's drone forces commander, Robert Brovdi, said Russian military ships were destroyed in the attacks.
A TV channel was struck during a live broadcast on Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, as Russian strikes on Kyiv killed at least three people, the city's Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. Meanwhile, drones hit civilian infrastructure in Russia's southwestern Saratov region.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces destroyed five Iranian crude oil carriers after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) allegedly launched two ballistic missile attacks against a U.S. Navy warship over the past two days.
Wildfires have broken out in Türkiye’s Antalya province, forcing hundreds of people to evacuate as strong winds fuelled the flames.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) said on Wednesday they attacked two U.S. vessels and eight oil tankers in the Persian Gulf, calling the strikes a response to a U.S. attack on five Iranian tankers.
Overnight Iranian strikes on an air base in Jordan damaged multiple U.S. aircraft and left one without a wing, American media reported. Meanwhile, explosions were heard across parts of southern Iran according to local media reports.
Azerbaijan's education system is showing some of its strongest signs of progress in years, with the latest Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) results revealing significant improvements in mathematics, science and reading.
At least 14 people were killed and 11 others injured after a powerful explosion ripped through a temporary weapons storage facility near the northern Syrian city of Sarmada in Idlib province on Wednesday, according to Syrian authorities.
Kazakhstan is stepping up investment in the Middle Corridor as rising freight volumes and demand for more diverse trade links drive the rapid expansion of the route connecting Asia and Europe.
Georgia’s International Maritime Forum has closed in Batumi with officials setting out investment targets, timelines and technical plans aimed at expanding the Middle Corridor and strengthening the country’s role in global trade.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment