Turkey says defense pact with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan is not against Iran or any other country
- Turkey's Foreign Minister stated that the defense agreement with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan is not directed against Iran or any other country.
- The tripartite defense agreement was signed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Mecca.
- The agreement includes a mutual defense clause, meaning an attack on one will be considered an attack on all three countries.
- Turkey's Foreign Minister emphasized that no specific country is seen as an adversary unless it takes hostile actions against them.
- Other nations have expressed interest in joining the agreement, with Egypt being mentioned as a potential future participant.
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — A defense agreement between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey is not aimed at Iran or any other country, Turkey's Foreign Minister stated on Saturday, calling the pact an important step towards regional stability.
The agreement was signed on Friday in the holy city of Mecca, establishing that an attack against one would be considered an attack against all three.
The 'Mecca Joint Defense Agreement' brings together oil-rich Saudi Arabia, nuclear-armed Pakistan, and Turkey, which has the second-largest army in NATO and a rapidly growing defense industry. It aims to deepen cooperation and deterrence amid increasing regional uncertainty and threats stemming from the war in Iran.
In an interview, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan insisted that the three countries do not consider any particular state to be their adversary unless it undertakes hostile actions against them. He stated, "We have nothing in writing — nothing that we have signed — that defines a common threat."
The Turkish minister described the mutual defense clause as "technically the same" as NATO's Article 5, which states that an attack against one member is considered an attack against all. Other nations, which he did not name, have expressed interest in joining the agreement, and he anticipates that Egypt, described as a "natural partner," will participate in the next stage.
土耳其表示与沙特阿拉伯和巴基斯坦的防御协议不针对伊朗或任何其他国家
安卡拉，土耳其（美联社）——土耳其外交部长表示，沙特阿拉伯、巴基斯坦和土耳其之间的防御协议并不针对伊朗或任何其他国家，称该协议是向地区稳定迈出的重要一步。
该协议于周五在麦加的圣城签署，规定对一个国家的攻击将被视为对所有三个国家的攻击。
“麦加联合防御协议”将富含石油的沙特阿拉伯、拥有核武器的巴基斯坦和拥有北约第二大军队及快速发展的防御工业的土耳其聚集在一起。它旨在加深合作和威慑，以应对日益增加的地区不确定性和源于伊朗战争的威胁。
在一次采访中，土耳其外交部长哈坎·菲丹坚称，三国并不认为任何特定国家是他们的对手，除非该国采取敌对行动。他表示：“我们没有任何书面文件——没有我们签署的任何东西——来定义共同威胁。”
土耳其部长将相互防御条款描述为“在技术上与北约第五条相同”，即对一个成员国的攻击被视为对所有成员国的攻击。其他国家（他没有提及）已表示有兴趣加入该协议，他预计埃及作为“自然伙伴”将在下一阶段参与。