Turkish Defense Ministry: Mecca Agreement Is Defensive in Nature, Not a NATO Replacement

Turkey's Defense Ministry said at its weekly press briefing in Ankara on Thursday, August 13, 2026 (22 Mordad 1405), that the Mecca Agreement for Joint Defense, signed on August 7 (16 Mordad) between Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, is defensive in nature, names no country as a common enemy, and will not replace NATO. According to Khabar Online, citing Mehr News and Al Jazeera, the ministry described the agreement's main goal as supporting regional security and stability and developing military cooperation among the three countries. The Mecca Agreement, signed at the Saudi Royal Court by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, states that an armed attack on any one of the three countries will be considered an attack on all of them. Turkey's Defense Ministry said other countries could be considered for the mechanism if the necessary understandings are reached.