Turkey expects Egypt to join Mecca Joint Defence Agreement amid West Asia conflict

Turkey expects Egypt to become part of a newly formed regional defence agreement signed with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Saturday, expressing confidence that Cairo would eventually join the alliance as regional tensions continue amid the West Asia conflict.

The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement was signed on Friday by Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan as the war between the US and Iran continued to ripple across the region, disrupting shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea.

Joint statements released simultaneously by the foreign ministries of Riyadh, Ankara and Islamabad set out the core principles of the agreement. Invoking Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, which recognises the inherent right to individual and collective self-defence, the pact states that any external armed attack on one member state will be treated as an attack on all three. The provision establishes a framework of mutual deterrence aimed at preventing external aggression.

The agreement also seeks to fast-track technological collaboration and joint defence manufacturing among the three countries.

Turkey says Egypt is a ‘natural partner’

Speaking to state news agency Anadolu, Fidan described Egypt as a “natural partner on all issues” and said he expected the country to become part of the alliance once remaining procedural matters were resolved.

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

“There are a few technical issues. Once these are implemented, there is no reason for Egypt not to be part of it.”

Agreement ‘does not target’ any country

Fidan said the defence agreement was not directed against any particular nation.

“There is no common threat that we have put in writing,” he said, according to the news agency.

On Friday, Pakistan’s foreign ministry said the agreement meant that an attack on any member would be treated as an attack on all, adding that it was “intended to strengthen collective deterrence”.

Turkey seeks a broader regional alliance

Describing the pact as “the most important step toward bringing lasting stability to this region”, Fidan suggested that the alliance could expand beyond its three founding members.

“Under our president’s vision, we should not remain limited to three countries. We should grow and, if necessary, bring all countries under this umbrella,” he said.

The defence agreement comes as the conflict between the US and Iran has emboldened Iran and its Houthi allies in Yemen, both of which have launched attacks on Saudi Arabia. Last month, a drone also struck US assets at an Egyptian port on the Mediterranean.