Aug 10, 2026
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan says
the historic “Makkah Mutual Defense Pact” signed between Turkey, Saudi Arabia
and Pakistan is based on the principle of collective defense in the style of
NATO’s Article 5, under which an armed attack on any member country is
considered an attack on all allies. In an interview with the Turkish news
agency Anadolu, he said that continuous negotiations have been going on for two
years and eight months to finalize the agreement. Fidan described cooperation
in the defense industry and technology as the most important part of the agreement
and said that a ministerial committee and a general secretariat for
coordination will be established in the style of NATO to run the affairs of the
alliance in an orderly manner. The Turkish Foreign Minister clarified that the
three founding countries do not have any expansionist ambitions and neither
Iran nor any other country is the target of this alliance. He said that as long
as no member country is attacked, it is safe, but in the event of an attack, it
will be determined through mutual consultation what level and type of support
the affected ally needs. He also said that President Tayyip Erdogan is keen to
expand this alliance and that Egypt is also expected to join after some
technical issues are resolved, which could expand the alliance beyond its
founding members. He added that the protection of commercial shipping in the
Red Sea is among the alliance’s key interests, for which Turkey’s participation
in the international coalition led by Saudi Arabia is essential.
The Makkah Defense Agreement is opening a
new chapter in cooperation between the three countries in modern technology and
defense industry. The Turkish Foreign Minister’s statement is making it clear
that this agreement can become a new defense force for Muslim countries. He
reiterated the words of the Turkish President and made it clear that Muslim
countries, especially Iran, should not be upset about this, which was also said
by Tayyip Erdogan after the signing of the agreement. This agreement is
NATO-style, which can provide a strong defense and military force against the
enemy. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is an intergovernmental
military alliance of 32 member countries, including 30 European and two North
American countries. This alliance came into existence after the Second World
War with the signing of the “North Atlantic Treaty” in 1949. Basically, it
provides a system of collective security of the member countries and deterrence
of any aggression against them. Under this, sovereign members agree to defend
each other in the event of any external attack. This principle is reinforced by
Article 5 of the treaty, according to which an armed attack on the territory of
one member is considered an attack on all the others.
NATO members contribute to collective
defense by providing a common budget for the organization's affairs and
maintaining common facilities, in addition to funding their own defense. NATO's
headquarters and international secretariat are in the Belgian capital,
Brussels. The NATO secretariat is headed by the Secretary General. No decision
in NATO is taken by majority or vote, but by mutual consent of all members in
the "North Atlantic Council". In this system, the international staff
is responsible for formulating defense policies, strategic planning,
information exchange and coordination, while the Military Committee provides
practical advice to the political leadership on defense matters.
NATO gave a new energy to the Europe
weakened after the Second World War and provided the basis for the
establishment of the European Union by bringing Europe out of the devastation
of war, due to which Europe achieved rapid economic growth. Similarly, in the
90s, when ethnic tension and genocide began to arise in Bosnia and Kosovo, NATO
intervened in time and saved Central Europe from a new war. It established
lasting peace in the border areas of Europe, due to which economic and
political activities continued and the people were saved from the dark effects
of war. In the present era, clouds of war are hanging over the Middle East, in
such a situation, a joint alliance was inevitable and its initiative has been
taken with the Makkah Agreement. Since this is a military-style agreement, it
can assume great importance in the Muslim world in the future. Initially, three
but in the future more countries can stand together in any difficult time and
force the enemies to stay within their limits.
This agreement is undoubtedly another
victory for Pakistan on the diplomatic front, but at the same time, there is a
need to focus on the internal affairs of the country. Political stability in
the country still remains a major challenge. Political parties are engaged in
confrontation against each other, anti-national elements are trying to take
advantage of the opportunity, while life is becoming more difficult for the
common man. In such circumstances, it is the responsibility of all
stakeholders, especially politicians, to rise above mutual differences and play
a serious role in establishing an atmosphere of peace, stability and trust in
the country. This is the environment that can promote foreign investment and
truly bring the fruits of the achievements achieved at the global level to the
common man.
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