ISTANBUL : The meeting follows the signing of the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement on August 7, which establishes a collective defence framework between the three countries. Under the accord, an armed attack against any one of the signatories will be considered an attack against all three, a provision similar to NATO’s Article 5 collective defence clause.

Foreign and defence ministers, along with the chiefs of staff of Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, are expected to attend the Istanbul meeting, according to a Turkish foreign ministry source.

Discussions are expected to focus on strengthening defence capabilities, improving interoperability between the three countries’ armed forces and expanding defence industry cooperation, including the joint development and production of military equipment.

The pact was formed against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict involving Iran, which has also seen Iranian missile attacks targeting Gulf oil exporters and contributed to wider concerns over regional security and global energy supplies.

Six months after the United States and Israel launched their war against Iran, diplomatic negotiations remain stalled, while the administration of US President Donald Trump has intensified financial pressure on Tehran.

Turkey, which possesses NATO’s second-largest military, has stressed that the new alliance with nuclear-armed Pakistan and Saudi Arabia is not designed to replace existing security partnerships.

Ankara has also said that the pact remains open to expansion, with Egypt among the countries previously mentioned as a potential future member.

Monday’s meeting is expected to mark the first major step towards translating the Mecca agreement into an operational security and defence framework among the three regional powers.

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