Fidan: Mecca Defense Alliance launches 'new regional security architecture'

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Monday announced that the official name of the trilateral alliance between Türkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia will be the Mecca Defense Alliance, with its secretariat to be established in Riyadh and its first secretary-general to be appointed from Pakistan. Speaking at a news conference following the first meeting under the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement at Istanbul's Ciragan Palace, Fidan said the gathering marked the beginning of a process to test a "new security and cooperation architecture" in the region. "With this agreement, the process of testing a new security and cooperation architecture in our region has begun," he said.

The inaugural session of the Strategic Political and Defense Committee brought together the foreign and defense ministers and chiefs of general staff from all three nations. Turkish National Defense Minister Yasar Guler and Chief of General Staff Gen. Selcuk Bayraktaroglu joined Fidan, while Pakistan sent Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif and army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir. Saudi Arabia dispatched Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan, Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman and Chief of General Staff Gen. Fayyadh bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili.

Open to regional partners

Fidan emphasized that the alliance is not directed against any country and is open to all regional states that respect its core principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and non-interference in internal affairs. "The alliance is based on international law principles such as respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states and non-interference in their internal affairs," Fidan said, adding that the alliance was established with the aim of expanding once its foundations and institutional structures are firmly established.

The minister stressed that the alliance complements rather than replaces Türkiye's existing NATO obligations and other security commitments. He noted that regional ownership remains central to the agreement, warning that attempts to impose solutions from outside the region have historically produced heavy costs rather than remedies.

Netanyahu 'threat' to global security

Fidan issued strong condemnation of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, describing him as having become a "common enemy of humanity, the international community and security" and labeling him a "perpetrator of genocide." He said Netanyahu and his supporters have increasingly targeted Türkiye, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Turkish officials in their rhetoric as Israel approaches elections.

"This is a major threat not only to us, but to the entire region and the international community. The international system must fight against this threat, this Netanyahu threat," Fidan said. He argued that Netanyahu's policies indicate no desire for a Palestinian state or an end to regional occupations, warning that viewing this as solely Türkiye's problem would constitute a major mistake.

Black Sea initiative

Fidan revealed that Ankara has prepared a study aimed at restoring navigation safety in the Black Sea and addressing attacks on commercial vessels that threaten global food security. "We are in contact with both sides on the basis of this work. As we did in the past, God willing, if the necessary conditions are created, we are working to reach another agreement similar to the Grain Deal," he said.

The minister characterized the Russia-Ukraine war as having evolved from a war of attrition into a war of destruction, stressing the need to prevent increasingly destructive damage inflicted by both sides. Fidan also extended condolences to the families of victims who died after a passenger ship capsized off Girne Port in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.