ISLAMABAD: Landmarks across Saudi Arabia were illuminated with the flags of Pakistan, Türkiye and the Kingdom to celebrate a new trilateral defence pact that strengthens their collective security against aggression, envisages joint defence industry projects and is open to participation by other countries seeking regional peace and stability.
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye signed the “Makkah Joint Defence Agreement” on Friday, stipulating that an armed attack against one of the three countries would be treated as an attack against all, amid regional tensions following months of conflict between the United States and Iran.
Prominent landmarks and towers across Saudi Arabia were illuminated with the national flags of the three countries following the signing, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Saturday.
“The light displays across various regions reflected widespread public jubilation over the historic pact,” SPA said, describing the agreement as an expression of the three countries’ commitment to collective security and regional and global stability.
The agreement was signed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the “Makkah Al-Mukarramah Summit for Joint Defence” at Al-Safa Palace in Makkah.
“The agreement is intended to strengthen collective deterrence against any act of aggression, and stipulates that any armed attack against any one of the three states shall be regarded as an attack against them all,” Pakistan’s foreign office said after the signing.
“It further provides for the enhancement of all aspects of defence cooperation among the three states.”
Erdogan said in a social media post after the summit that the deal would help deepen security cooperation between the three countries, including through joint defence industry projects.
“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 Turkish president said.
He said the pact reaffirmed the right to self-defence under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, targeted no country and was open to the participation of other “brotherly countries” seeking peace, prosperity and stability in the region.
Pakistan has in recent years sought to expand its defence exports and cooperation with international partners, while Türkiye has developed a major domestic defence industry producing drones, warships, missiles and other military equipment.
Pakistan and Türkiye already have extensive defence ties, including collaboration in naval shipbuilding, military training and other areas.
Sharif described the agreement as a “historic pact” and expressed hope it would serve as a “shield of peace” for future generations.
“May this historic pact, signed in the shadow of the Haramain, remain a shield of peace for generations to come and may it bring prosperity for our three brotherly countries as well as for the Ummah,” he said on X, using the Arabic term for Islam’s two holiest sites in Makkah and Madinah.
Pakistan’s information ministry also released a special anthem following the signing, portraying Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye as united by religious and cultural ties and a shared commitment to defence.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia had already signed a Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement in September 2025, pledging that an attack against either country would be considered an attack against both.
The new agreement expands that mutual defence framework to Türkiye, a NATO member with one of the region’s largest militaries.
Middle Eastern political analyst Abdullah Al-Rifai told AFP the participation of three influential regional states could make the pact attractive to other countries.
“This agreement includes parties with significant weight in the region, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye,” he said. “I believe that this agreement will attract many countries because it is a common interest and serves everyone.”
He said the pact should not be viewed through an ideological, sectarian or religious lens, arguing that its significance lay instead in security and stability.
Al-Rifai pointed to the three countries’ differing international relationships — Türkiye’s NATO membership, Pakistan’s ties with Iran and Saudi Arabia’s recent engagement with Tehran — as factors that could allow the grouping to play a stabilizing role.
The agreement comes amid efforts to end the conflict between the United States and Iran.
Pakistan has played a key role in mediation between Washington and Tehran since the war began in February. It hosted the first round of direct US-Iran talks in April and helped broker an interim peace deal between the two sides in June, known as the “Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding.”
Fighting subsequently resumed after the US accused Iran of attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz, which Tehran has effectively blocked to commercial shipping since February.
