Turkey says defense pact with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan is not aimed at Iran or any other country
- Turkey's foreign minister stated that the defense agreement is not aimed against Iran or any other country.
- The pact, signed in Mecca, is called the 'Mecca Joint Defense Agreement' and includes mutual defense clauses.
- The agreement was signed by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
- Turkey's foreign minister emphasized that the agreement does not define any specific state as an adversary unless it takes hostile action.
- Other nations have expressed interest in joining the agreement, with Egypt expected to participate in the future.
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — A defense agreement between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey is not aimed against Iran or any other country, Turkey’s foreign minister said Saturday, describing the pact as an important step toward regional stability.
The agreement, signed in the Saudi holy city of Mecca on Friday, states that an attack on one would be considered an attack on all three. The 'Mecca Joint Defense Agreement' brings together oil-rich Saudi Arabia and nuclear power Pakistan as well as Turkey, which has NATO’s second-largest army and a rapidly growing defense industry.
Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan insisted that the three countries do not view any particular state as an adversary unless they take hostile action against them. He also mentioned that other nations have expressed interest in joining the agreement, adding that he expects Egypt to participate in the next stage.
土耳其表示与沙特阿拉伯和巴基斯坦的防务协议并非针对伊朗或其他国家
安卡拉，土耳其（美联社）——土耳其外长周六表示，沙特阿拉伯、巴基斯坦和土耳其之间的防务协议并非针对伊朗或其他国家，称该协议是实现地区稳定的重要一步。
该协议于周五在沙特圣城麦加签署，声明对其中一国的攻击将被视为对所有三国的攻击。“麦加联合防务协议”将富有石油资源的沙特阿拉伯、拥有核武器的巴基斯坦与拥有北约第二大军队和快速发展的防务工业的土耳其结合在一起。
土耳其外长哈坎·费丹强调，三国并不将任何特定国家视为敌对国家，除非其采取敌对行动。他还提到其他国家对加入该协议表示了兴趣，并补充说他预计埃及将在下一阶段参与。