Signed in August, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkiye have agreed to establish a secretariat in Saudi Arabia under the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement. The secretariat will be initially headed by a Pakistani secretary general for three years, the three countries said in a joint statement in a meeting on Monday. The meeting was the first since the signing of the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement.
The representatives of the three countries met in Istanbul on Monday and vowed to work together to strengthen their collective defense capabilities and cohesion of their armed forces, the statement read. The Makkah Joint Defense Agreement was signed early in August and is intended to strengthen collective deterrence against any act of aggression and states that an armed attack against any of the three would be regarded as an attack on all.
The three countries reaffirmed the defensive nature of their partnership and their commitment to mutual respect for state sovereignty. They also pledged to continue efforts to promote de-escalation and restraint. Cooperation will also include defense manufacturing and the development of production capabilities and technologies.
Joint Statement of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee under Makkah Joint Defence Agreement. 🇸🇦🇹🇷🇵🇰 pic.twitter.com/rfEEXyamxO
— Foreign Ministry 🇸🇦 (@KSAmofaEN) August 31, 2026
Read more: Shehbaz Sharif Begins Kyrgyzstan Visit for SCO Summit 2026
The three also pledged to support the peace both within the region and beyond it.
Pakistan says nearly seven countries have expressed interest in joining the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement, according to Bloomberg.
Both the officials from Pakistan and Turkey have traveled to Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan to attend the SCO summit. Earlier foreign and defense ministers and chiefs of general staff of Turkey, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia had met in Istanbul in the strategic political and defense committee format established under the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement.
The meeting in Turkiye is being viewed by the observers as the first step towards practical and institutional implementation of the Mecca pact. The aim is to develop consultation mechanisms and building systems for proactive response.
