- Pakistan-Turkiye-Saudi defence pact not targeting Iran: Fidan.
- Committee of ministers to be formed as part of alliance: Fidan.
- “Nobody is a target as long as they don’t attack members.”
ANKARA: A defence pact signed between Turkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia is technically the same as Nato’s Article 5 mutual defence agreement, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Saturday, adding the accord was not targeting Iran.
Fidan also said Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan wanted to see the alliance expand, and that Egypt was a potential candidate to join, among others.
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement on Friday.
In a joint statement, they said the accord intended to strengthen collective deterrence against any act of aggression and stipulates that an armed attack against any of the three would be regarded as an attack on all.
Speaking to the state-run Anadolu news agency, Fidan said the new alliance was not directed against Iran or any other country, but rather served as a general pledge to support the three allies’ security.
He added that the allies would decide through consultations what degree, form, and format of support they would ask for in the event of an attack, but that no country would be considered a threat as long as a member state is not attacked.
Turkey, which has Nato’s second-largest army, has said the pact was open to expansion to other regional countries and did not seek to replace any existing alliances.
“Nato is a giant military alliance where there are 32 countries. We have started here as three countries and we have to take very humble but concrete steps,” he said, adding efforts to finalise the pact had been underway for two years and eight months.
He added that a committee of ministers similar to that within Nato would be formed as part of the alliance, as well as a general secretariat based in Saudi Arabia, but that operational details would be set at the first committee meeting.
“Our president’s vision is that we don’t remain limited to three countries, that we grow and bring together all (regional) countries under this roof,” he said, adding Egypt could potentially join the pact once certain technical matters are resolved.
In recent months, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Egypt formed a group to address regional issues, namely the war on Iran. Turkiye has said the group — dubbed the R4 — aims to solidify its partnership through concrete mechanisms.
Fidan also said Turkiye should be involved in an international coalition to protect shipping in the Red Sea from Houthi attacks because shipping safety concerns Ankara’s interests.
Turkiye President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had said on Friday that the joint defence pact signed with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan “targets no country and is open to the participation of all brotherly countries”.
In his X post, Erdogan had said: “This agreement, based on collective deterrence, will contribute to advancing our security and defence cooperation, developing joint projects in the defence industry, and combating terrorism.”
“The agreement, which also reaffirms the right of defence as defined in Article 51 of the UN Charter, targets no country and is open to the participation of all brotherly countries that aim for the peace, prosperity, and stability of our region,” he had added.
Erdogan had backed dialogue and diplomacy to resolve regional crises and said, “in line with its vision of regional ownership, Turkiye will resolutely continue its principled stance toward resolving conflicts and crises through dialogue and diplomacy on the basis of respect for international law”.
“I pray to my Lord that our visit, our consultations, and the agreement we have signed may bring blessings to our entire region,” he had added.
