Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye Move Ahead on Makkah Defence Pact
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye are moving ahead with plans to put their new Makkah Joint Defence Agreement into practice, with the foreign ministers of the three countries discussing the next steps during a meeting in New York.
Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar met Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. The talks focused on the institutional arrangements needed to make the agreement operational, including its secretariat, committees and working groups.
The meeting came as Saudi Arabia faced a new wave of attacks from Yemen’s Houthi movement, adding urgency to discussions about the security commitments made by the three countries.
Pact Moves Forward
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement on August 7, 2026. One of its central provisions says that an armed attack against one member is to be treated as an attack against all three.
The agreement is intended to create a framework for closer defence coordination rather than simply serving as a political declaration. Since its signing, officials from the three countries have started working on the structures needed to manage cooperation under the pact.
The first meeting of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee took place in Istanbul on August 31. The participating countries agreed to establish a general secretariat in Saudi Arabia and to create committees and working groups to support the agreement’s implementation.
Pakistan has been given an early institutional role in the arrangement. Lieutenant General Nauman Mahmood was appointed as the first secretary general of the agreement’s secretariat, with Pakistan providing the official for the initial three-year term.
The latest meeting in New York was therefore focused largely on moving those arrangements forward and preparing the institutions to begin their work.
Saudi Arabia Under Attack
The discussions are taking place against a difficult security backdrop. Saudi Arabia has reported attacks from the Houthis, who have launched missiles and drones toward targets inside the kingdom.
During their New York meeting, the three foreign ministers condemned attacks targeting Makkah as well as civilian and economic facilities in Saudi Arabia. They also reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s right to defend itself under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter.
The ministers discussed more than the immediate attacks. Their statement also referred to international law, state sovereignty, non-interference and the importance of maintaining safe and free maritime navigation.
Those issues matter beyond the three countries because the conflict around Yemen has affected regional security and important shipping routes. The wider fighting has also raised concerns about disruption to trade and other economic activity.
Military Chiefs to Meet
One of the main developments from the foreign ministers’ talks was the plan for an urgent meeting of the three countries’ military chiefs.
The meeting is expected to examine possible ways of supporting Saudi Arabia within the framework of the Makkah agreement. However, the announcement did not specify what form that support would take or announce a new military operation.
Türkiye’s Defence Ministry said its Chief of General Staff, General Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu, would travel to Saudi Arabia for the meeting. Pakistan’s military leadership is also expected to participate.
The distinction is important because the planned meeting is about discussing coordination under an existing defence agreement. It does not, by itself, mean that Pakistan or Türkiye has announced a particular military deployment.
The three governments have continued to emphasise security cooperation while also referring to the need for regional stability and peaceful solutions.
Pakistan’s Role
Pakistan has a significant position in the new arrangement because it is providing the first secretary general for the Makkah agreement’s secretariat.
Islamabad already has long-standing defence and political relations with both Saudi Arabia and Türkiye. The new agreement gives those relationships a more formal trilateral structure and creates additional channels for consultation.
The pact’s implementation could involve cooperation between defence institutions, regular meetings and working groups, and coordination on areas identified by the member states.
Exactly how far that cooperation will go remains dependent on decisions by the three governments. The agreement establishes a framework, but the practical details of its operation are still being developed.
Türkiye’s Position
Türkiye has also indicated that it is prepared to discuss Saudi Arabia’s military requirements under the agreement.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has said Ankara could assist with technical military needs if required. At the same time, Turkish officials have continued to stress the importance of reducing regional tensions and pursuing diplomatic solutions.
The planned meeting of military chiefs will give the three countries another opportunity to discuss the situation directly and clarify how their defence commitments can be coordinated.
For Türkiye, the agreement also provides another formal channel for working with two countries with which it already maintains close political and security contacts.
What Comes Next
The immediate focus is now on the meeting of the military chiefs and the continued development of the agreement’s institutional structure.
The foreign ministers’ meeting in New York shows that the three countries are moving beyond the signing of the pact and working on the mechanisms needed to implement it. At the same time, the latest security developments in Saudi Arabia are putting greater attention on how the agreement could be used in practice.
No detailed decision about military action by Pakistan or Türkiye was announced in the foreign ministers’ statement. The next steps will depend on discussions among the military leadership and decisions by the governments involved.
For now, the Makkah agreement is entering a more practical phase. Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye are building the institutions behind the pact while responding to a changing regional security situation. The coming meetings are likely to provide more clarity about the form of cooperation the three countries intend to pursue.
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