The strategic military defence alliance among Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Türkiye reflects the complexity of contemporary geopolitics, where three vital pillars of the multipolar world are bonded together for mutual defence.

The combined United States-Israel attack on February 28, 2026, against Iran and the ensuing military confrontation have badly shattered the international security architecture. The attack was a unilateral military action and was not sanctioned by the United Nations Security Council; hence, in the eyes of international law, the military operation remains illegal and a flagrant violation of an independent nation’s sovereignty.

Hitherto, the devastating attack has strategically emboldened Israel and is another step towards making Israel the regional hegemon. There is little or no doubt that Israel has been encroaching on every nook and cranny of the world in a desperate bid to secure its national interests. However, Israel’s unnecessarily aggressive foreign policy has made it a little more vulnerable and problematic for the entire region.

Israel violated Qatar’s national sovereignty and attacked the alleged Hamas leaders in Doha, Qatar, on September 9, 2025, killing 6 innocent people, including Qatari nationals. Israel has had good relations with both Russia and Ukraine, and instead of brokering peace between the two, Israel is fuelling the hostilities by providing significant military assistance to Ukraine. When it comes to Israel’s aggressive policies in the Middle East, even European nations seem helpless.

In the backdrop of the aforementioned geo-strategic developments, the three vital pillars of the multipolar world and sovereign nations, i.e., Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Türkiye, have decided to act as a unified force to act against the illegal military actions of those aggressor nations.

Pakistan-Saudi Arabia-Türkiye Military Alliance

On August 7, 2026, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Türkiye mutually signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement. His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of the Republic of Türkiye, and Mr. Muhammed Shehbaz Sharif, Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, signed the agreement. The agreement was signed in Makkah, which is the holiest city in the religion of Islam.

According to Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “The Agreement is intended to strengthen collective deterrence against any act of aggression, and stipulates that any armed attack against any one of the three states shall be regarded as an attack against them all.” The press release further noted that the agreement “provides for the enhancement of all aspects of defence cooperation among the three states.”

At the signing of the agreement, the leaders from the three states argued that the “shared commitment to further strengthening their collective security and to promoting peace, security, and stability in the region and beyond, in pursuit of a secure and prosperous future.” The agreement clearly took its inspiration from Article 5 of the NATO Charter, which states that any attack on one member shall be considered an attack on all members.

Turkish President Erdogan said in a statement that “this agreement, based on collective deterrence, will contribute to advancing our security and defence cooperation, developing joint projects in the defence industry, and combating terrorism.” He also stated that “the agreement, which also reaffirms the right of defence as defined in Article 51 of the UN Charter, targets no country and is open to the participation of all brotherly countries that aim for the peace, prosperity, and stability of our region.”

It is to be remembered that last year, on September 17, 2025, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed the Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement (SMDA), which also stated that any attack on one member will be considered an attack on both nations.

The three nations possess uniqueness in their character and conduct. For instance, Pakistan is a nuclear-armed state, possesses a battle-hardened armed force, significant military capabilities, and a huge human resource with a population of more than 240 million people. Likewise, Saudi Arabia has an abundance of economic resources and massive hydrocarbons. Similarly, Türkiye has access to some of the most advanced military technology and has considerable armed forces. These credentials make these three countries work together and complement as well as benefit from each other’s capabilities.

Conclusions: The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement is not against anyone

Iran shares an international border and is a neighbour of Pakistan as well as Türkiye, and is only separated by the Persian Gulf from Saudi Arabia. It is noteworthy here that China brokered a diplomatic deal between Saudi Arabia and Iran in March 2023, which resumed the politico-diplomatic relations between the two nations. It is also notable that Pakistan, Türkiye, and Iran mutually signed the Regional Cooperation for Development (RCD) on July 21, 1964, and these nations were also members of the Central Treaty Organization (CENTO). Pakistan, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, and Iran share almost every aspect of their mutual history and religion. So, it is out of the question whether Pakistan, Türkiye, and Saudi Arabia could have military-strategic ambitions against Iran.

Türkiye has de jure diplomatic relations with Israel, whereas Pakistan and Saudi Arabia continue to oppose Israel’s illegal and aggressive policy and its use of military power against its Arab neighbours since May 1948.

It is a fact that Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Türkiye maintain good relations with the US, Russia, and China. Pakistan is a member of the multilateral Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), whereas, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye are SCO’s Dialogue Partners and actively participate in its events. Saudi Arabia is a member of the BRICS organization and is playing a very important role in the stabilization of the Middle East.

It is noteworthy here that Türkiye is a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The future of NATO is not sure, and Türkiye has made the right decision to enter into a joint defence agreement. Now, it is understandable that these three countries will have to balance their relations very delicately, so they must not trigger any unnecessary military confrontation.

Türkiye has historically had bitter relations with Greece on the issue of Cyprus; however, these two are members of NATO. On the other hand, Pakistan and India share hostile relations and went to conflict multiple times. Further, Saudi Arabia has had unpleasant relations with Iran, and the US military bases in Saudi Arabia continue to irritate Iran. However, international politics is the ultimate arena where nations and states pursue their national interests by balancing and hedging, and sometimes they enter into alliances. We may soon witness the expansion of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, and countries like Qatar, Kuwait, and Egypt could join the agreement.

Muhammad Ali Baig is a Research Fellow at the Institute of Strategic Studies, Islamabad (ISSI), Pakistan. He is a Ph.D. candidate and a distinguished graduate of National Defence University (NDU), Islamabad, Pakistan. Courtesy

https://journal-neo.su/2026/08/11/the-makkah-joint-defence-agreement-a-view-from-pakistan/