Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed a joint defence agreement on Friday, Pakistan's foreign ministry said, as the three countries sought to deepen security cooperation amid heightened military tensions and conflicts in the Middle East. The agreement says that any armed attack on any one of the three countries will be regarded as an attack against them all, the statement from the ministry said.
The move marks a significant step in efforts by the three regional powers to deepen security cooperation amid growing tensions and the ongoing war between the United States and Iran. A source close to the Saudi government and military, speaking anonymously to Agence France Presse (AFP), said that "the agreement has been under discussion for a long time, but recent developments in the region accelerated the process." Two additional regional sources with direct knowledge of the matter confirmed the planned timetable to Reuters.
The closely watched summit brought together Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Erdogan departed Ankara on Friday morning for a brief working visit, accompanied by senior Turkish officials. Sharif and Pakistan's army chief, Gen. Asim Munir, arrived in Saudi Arabia a day earlier, landing on Thursday and received at Jeddah airport by the deputy governor of the Mecca region. (Read More)
