Turkey Expects Egypt to Join Makkah Defence Pact, Says FM Fidan

Turkey says it expects Egypt to eventually join the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, the new regional security pact it signed with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia last week.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told state news agency Anadolu that Egypt was a “natural partner on all issues” and that only a few technical matters stood in the way of it becoming part of the alliance.

“I believe that at the next stage Egypt will also be among us in the alliance,” he said. “We already act toward one another as if we were alliance members.”

The pact was signed on Friday in Makkah between Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. Under the agreement, an armed attack on any one member country will be treated as an attack on all three, similar in structure to NATO’s Article 5.

Pakistan’s foreign ministry confirmed this arrangement Friday, saying the pact was meant to “strengthen collective deterrence” in a region shaken by ongoing conflict.

Fidan was careful to stress that the alliance isn’t aimed at any one country in particular. “There is no common threat that we have put in writing,” he told Anadolu, adding that the deal was not directed against Iran or anyone else.

He said the three founding members would decide, through mutual consultation, what kind of support to offer each other if any member came under attack — but insisted no country would be treated as a threat unless it actually attacked a member state first.

Turkey has NATO’s second-largest army and has said from the start that the pact is open to more countries joining later. According to Fidan, this openness reflects President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s vision for the alliance.

“Our president’s vision is that we don’t remain limited to three countries, that we grow and bring together all regional countries under this roof,” Fidan said.

He noted that Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Egypt have already been working together informally in recent months through a grouping known as R4, set up to address shared regional concerns, particularly the war involving Iran.

Fidan also raised the issue of shipping security in the Red Sea, saying Turkey believes it should be part of any international effort to protect vessels from Houthi attacks, given Ankara’s own maritime interests in the region.

Separately, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation welcomed the signing of the Makkah pact on Saturday, calling it a positive step for regional security cooperation.