Hakan Fidan says the Pakistan-Saudi-Turkey defence framework is focused on collective security, regional cooperation and stability, not confrontation with Iran.
Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has clarified that the newly signed defence agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey is aimed at strengthening regional security and cooperation, rather than targeting Iran.
Speaking in Ankara, Fidan said the agreement is based on the principle of collective defence, similar to Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), under which an attack on one member is treated as an attack on all.
Fidan said the emerging framework will include a ministerial committee and a general secretariat, with elements of its institutional structure modeled on NATO. The secretariat is expected to be established in Saudi Arabia.
The Turkish foreign minister also indicated that Egypt could eventually become part of the arrangement after remaining technical issues are resolved. Such an expansion could turn the initiative into a broader regional security framework involving additional Muslim-majority countries.
Fidan stressed that the agreement should not be interpreted as an alliance directed against any specific country. Instead, he described it as a platform for closer defence cooperation, stronger military capabilities and greater regional stability.
The agreement was signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey in Makkah at a time of heightened security concerns across the Middle East. Its announcement has drawn significant attention in the Muslim world, while several Islamic countries and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation have welcomed the initiative.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has also described the agreement as a potential contribution to regional security and closer cooperation in the defence industry.
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