Türkiye sets out joint drills and defence production under Saudi-Pakistan pact

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.

Collective defence clause

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.

Pact could expand

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.

Read more: 

• Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan unite in defence pact amid Iran threat
• Türkiye and Iraq sign five pacts to expand strategic cooperation

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