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World

Turkish speaker says Mecca defence pact could expand to 'Muslim world', including Iran

Turkish parliament speaker Numan Kurtulmus said on Friday the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement between Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan could broaden into a pact for the Muslim world, adding Iran could join too.

By Sarah Whitfield · · 2 min read

The defence pact between Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan could turn into a broader pact “for the Muslim world” that includes Iran, Turkish parliament speaker Numan Kurtulmus said on Friday, adding that the agreement is expected to be submitted for ratification from next month.

“We never see the Mecca Agreement as a pact against Iran, it must not be that way. In fact, we hope the Mecca Agreement can turn into a broader agreement for the Muslim world. Iran can join this agreement too,” Kurtulmus told reporters in Ankara, according to Reuters.

The three regional powers signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement in August. Similar to NATO’s Article 5, it stipulates that an attack on one ally constitutes an attack on all, and came weeks before Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis launched attacks against Saudi Arabia.

Kurtulmus said the meetings held so far were preparatory, aimed at laying out the accord’s parameters and assessing Riyadh’s needs, and that parliamentary approval was needed for the agreement to take effect. He said he expected the issue to come before parliament when it returns from recess in October, according to Channel News Asia.

Asked whether the pact was aimed against Iran, Kurtulmus repeated Turkiye’s position that it targeted no specific country but was primarily aimed at ensuring regional security amid conflicts and Israel’s “hostile policies”.

The remarks follow Pakistan’s announcement on Wednesday that retired Lieutenant General Nauman Mahmood had been appointed the pact’s first secretary general, according to HUM News.

Sources

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