By Sadiq Abdulfatah

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has described the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement between Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan as an opportunity to promote peace and send an important message to the world amid regional conflicts.

Erdogan made the remarks in an interview with Al Jazeera Arabic recorded on August 14, saying the agreement marked a new development in relations between the three countries.

He said the decision to sign the agreement in Mecca gave it added significance and strengthened the opportunity for the three countries to promote peace during a period of regional tensions.

Erdogan explained that the pact contains a collective defence arrangement under which Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan would take joint action if any of the three countries came under attack.

He compared the arrangement to Article 5 of NATO, which provides for collective defence among alliance members. “Whatever NATO’s Article 5 includes, similarly, this common defense understanding means that if any problem arises, these three countries will have the opportunity to take the necessary steps together,” he said.

The Turkish president also said the agreement could eventually be expanded, indicating that countries such as Egypt could potentially join the arrangement.

According to him, the agreement was concluded at a difficult time amid tensions between the United States and Iran. He said Türkiye remained opposed to war and continued to favour peaceful solutions to regional disputes.

“We are definitely not in favor of war,” Erdogan said, while discussing the situation surrounding the Strait of Hormuz and the wider consequences of the regional conflict. He also accused Israel of being the main aggressor behind the continuing war and regional instability.

Erdogan further stated that, he planned to visit Damascus to support Syria’s new administration. He also pledged that Ankara would continue standing with Gaza and Lebanon amid ongoing Israeli attacks.

Regarding the US, Erdogan said he expected US President Donald Trump to fulfil commitments concerning F-35 fighter jets. He added that Türkiye maintained regular telephone diplomacy with Moscow, while saying the European Union was not currently Ankara’s priority.