Fidan: Mecca defense alliance open to regional peace partners

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has said that regional countries sharing a common vision of peace could join the Mecca defense alliance, a trilateral pact signed with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan that aims to strengthen deterrence and contribute to regional stability.

Regional ownership

Fidan made the remarks in an article titled "The Role of Regional Ownership in Our Foreign Policy: the Mecca Defense Alliance" for the November issue of Anadolu's monthly magazine, AA Briefing. He said Türkiye signed the Mecca Agreement for Joint Defense with Islamabad and Riyadh because they share its vision of "regional solutions to regional problems."

The alliance aims to contribute to regional stability by strengthening deterrence, Fidan noted. He stressed that the global governance system is going through a turbulent period and that the Middle East is at the center of global challenges.

Strategic priorities

"The Mecca Defense Alliance lies at the intersection of our strategic foreign policy priorities, which can be summarized as strengthening regional peace and stability, supporting development and prosperity, expanding the institutional framework of our foreign relations, and contributing to the transformation of the global system," Fidan said. In his article, he also offered assessments of the institutional framework of foreign relations, the global governance system and Türkiye's vision for the future.

AA Briefing

AA Briefing brings readers comprehensive analyses of global and regional developments, combining expert assessments, special research, original commentary and detailed infographics on foreign policy, security, the economy, technology, the environment and social transformations. The magazine aims to present complex global developments from a clear, comprehensive and multidimensional perspective.

Seeking to serve as a reliable reference for policymakers, academics, researchers, media professionals and readers interested in global transformations, each issue examines the background and implications of major developments, as well as possible future scenarios. The November issue examines two simultaneous trends unfolding across a region stretching from Iran to the Horn of Africa.

The November issue also features detailed analyses of the second maritime front of the US-Iran war through Yemen and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, growing fears of Russia in Europe, the security environment in the Black Sea and developments surrounding the UN Climate Change Conference (COP31), which Türkiye is set to host. The issue is available at aakitap.com.tr and selected bookstores and retail outlets across Türkiye.