Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan condemn Mecca attacks, vow joint defense

The foreign ministers of Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan on Friday condemned strikes targeting the holy city of Mecca and civilian infrastructure across the kingdom, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said, vowing to convene military chiefs to coordinate joint defense under their recently established trilateral pact.

Condemnation of Mecca attacks

Hakan Fidan, Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Mohammad Ishaq Dar gathered Thursday in New York on the margins of the UN General Assembly to advance the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement formed last month among the three powers. The trio examined advancements in setting up the pact's general secretariat, committees and working groups, according to a Turkish Foreign Ministry statement. They denounced the assaults in the strongest possible terms while praising the Saudi Armed Forces for their alertness and capacity to safeguard national security.

Military coordination

They further affirmed Riyadh's prerogative to adopt whatever measures it judges necessary to protect its security under Article 51 of the UN Charter. The ministers also deliberated on summoning an urgent session of their respective military chiefs to examine avenues for extending assistance to Saudi Arabia under the accord's mutual defense clause — which treats an assault on one signatory as an assault on all.

Regional stability

They additionally addressed broader regional developments, stressing the necessity of respecting international law, maintaining good neighborly relations, honoring state sovereignty and non-interference, and guaranteeing freedom of navigation. The meeting marked the first high-level gathering since the three nations established the defense framework last month, underscoring their commitment to collective security amid heightened tensions in the Gulf.