Turkey claims new Saudi-Pakistan defense pact is not aimed at any country

During the Gaza war, Turkey threatened military action against Israel to enforce a ceasefire. 

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Turkey insisted Friday that a new mutual defense pact with Saudi Arabia and nuclear-armed Pakistan is not directed against any particular country, as Ankara joined the two nations in an agreement requiring all three to treat an armed attack on one as an attack on them all.

The assurance comes against the backdrop of Turkey’s increasingly hostile relationship with Israel following the Oct. 7 attacks.

A Turkish official told Reuters that the new three-way agreement was defensive and did not target any specific actor. The official also said the pact was open to other countries in the region and did replace existing bilateral or multilateral arrangements.

Turkey condemned Israel’s military operations, recalled its ambassador and eventually severed all trade ties with Israel.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan later raised tensions further by suggesting Turkey could enter Israel as it previously intervened in Libya and Nagorno-Karabakh. Israel condemned the remarks and called for Turkey’s expulsion from NATO.

Erdogan signed the agreement in Mecca alongside Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, according to Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry.

The pact establishes a collective defense commitment among the three countries, declaring that an armed attack against any member will be considered an attack against all three.

“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. It further provides for the enhancement of all aspects of defence cooperation among the three States,” the text said.

A source close to the Saudi government and military told Agence France-Presse that negotiations had preceded the summit.

“The agreement has been under discussion for a long time, but recent developments in the region accelerated the process,” the source said. Two regional sources with direct knowledge of the matter also confirmed the planned timetable to Reuters.

Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed a joint defense pact last year, attracting particular attention because Pakistan is the only Muslim country possessing nuclear weapons.

The pact could raise concern in Israel, since Turkey and Pakistan currently have strained relations with the Jewish State.

In April 2026, Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif posted a message on social media calling Israel “evil and a curse for humanity” and a “cancerous state,” while accusing it of genocide in Gaza, Iran, and Lebanon. He later deleted the post following severe international backlash and diplomatic friction.

Turkey has also expanded its regional diplomatic and security involvement, including efforts to end the war in Gaza. In late July, it became one of 14 founding members of a Riyadh-led maritime defense coalition.