The trilateral defence pact between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye will be known as the "Makkah Defence Alliance," with a secretariat established in Riyadh and its first secretary general to be appointed from Pakistan, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan announced on Monday in Istanbul.
Fidan made the announcement while addressing a press conference following the inaugural meeting of the alliance's Strategic Political and Defence Committee.
What was announced
"There is a secretariat that has been established in Riyadh," Fidan said, adding that the first secretary general would be appointed from Pakistan. He said a roadmap is being prepared for other countries to join the pact, and that the alliance is not directed against any specific state, remaining open to friendly countries that adhere to its principles.
Fidan said the committee's agenda includes strengthening joint efforts against terrorism and reviewing cooperation in the defence industry, including joint production, research and development.
Who attended
Pakistan's delegation was led by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, and Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir. Türkiye was represented by Fidan, Defence Minister Yaşar Güler and Chief of General Staff General Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu. Saudi Arabia's delegation included Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman, Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, and Chief of General Staff General Fayyad bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili.
On the sidelines of the meeting, Khalid bin Salman met separately with Field Marshal Munir to review prospects for bilateral military and defence cooperation. In a post on X, the Saudi defence minister said the two had discussed developments in the regional situation and the efforts being made in response.
Background: the August 7 pact
The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement was signed on August 7 in Makkah by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye. It introduces a mutual-defence clause under which an armed attack against any one of the three states is regarded as an attack against all of them, a provision Geo News described as similar in structure to NATO's Article 5.
Monday's Istanbul meeting was the alliance's first ministerial-level gathering since that signing, bringing together the foreign ministers, defence ministers and military chiefs of all three countries.
Pakistan's role
The appointment will give Pakistan a central role in the alliance's initial institutional structure, even as the secretariat itself is based in Riyadh. Field Marshal Munir's attendance, alongside Pakistan's foreign and defence ministers, placed the country's top civilian and military leadership directly in the alliance's founding meeting.
What happens next
The secretariat is established in Riyadh, but the alliance's broader institutional and operational framework is still being developed. Fidan said a roadmap is being prepared to allow other countries to join the pact. No date has been announced for when Pakistan's nominee for secretary general will be named.
