Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan announced that Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan are preparing to conduct joint military exercises, as part of activating the joint defense agreement signed by the three nations.
In an interview with the Anadolu Agency, Fidan stated that the armed forces of the three countries are expected to hold joint drills, noting that Saudi Arabia will host a headquarters for the new mechanism.
He explained that the agreement also includes the formation of a political-military committee comprising foreign and defense ministers, along with the chiefs of staff from Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan, allowing for an advanced level of political and military coordination among the three countries.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed the mutual defense agreement on Friday in Mecca.
According to the "Türkiye" newspaper, the agreement encompasses cooperation in sharing intelligence and enhancing regional security coordination, alongside developing various aspects of defense collaboration.
A joint statement released after the Mecca summit emphasized that the agreement aims to strengthen mutual deterrence against any aggression, stipulating that an armed attack on one of the countries will be considered an attack on all three.
The upcoming drills pave the way for the tripartite partnership to progress from political and defense agreements to practical military cooperation on the ground, at a time when the region is witnessing rapid security transformations and reformation of alliances and defense partnerships.