Saudi Arabia King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud chairs the Cabinet session in Jeddah on August 11, 2026. (SPA)
ISLAMABAD: King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has praised the outcomes of the trilateral summit between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye, saying it has established a framework for a long-term defense partnership among the three countries.
In a post on X published by the Saudi Press Agency on Tuesday, King Salman said the summit had helped consolidate “a long-term defense partnership framework” among Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and Pakistan.
He said the framework would contribute to strengthening joint cooperation and “paths of coordination and integration” between the three countries, while supporting efforts to address regional challenges and safeguard international security and stability.
The Saudi king also said the partnership would support the aspirations of peoples in the region and around the world for “a more developed and prosperous future.”
The statement comes days after Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement in Makkah last week.
The agreement reflects the three countries’ stated commitment to strengthening collective security and promoting peace, security and stability in the region and beyond.
Its central provision stipulates that “any armed attack against any one of the three States shall be regarded as an attack against them all.” The agreement also provides for enhanced defence cooperation among Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan.
At the time of signing, the three leaders' joint statement said the pact was guided by their “longstanding historical ties”, bonds of brotherhood and Islamic solidarity, shared strategic interests, and longstanding defence cooperation.
It said the agreement reflected their “shared commitment to further strengthening their collective security” and promoting peace, security and stability in the region and beyond.
The agreement builds on the Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement signed by Pakistan and Saudi Arabia in Riyadh in September 2025, under which aggression against either country was to be considered aggression against both.
Pakistan has since emphasized that the new trilateral framework is defensive in character.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said the Makkah Accord “is purely defensive in nature” and “is not targeted against any country.”
Dar also clarified that any external armed attack on one of the three countries would be considered an attack on all, consistent with the inherent right of individual and collective self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter.
He said the accord does not abrogate or replace existing bilateral or multilateral agreements between the three countries or with other states and organizations.
Speaking on Pakistan TV Digital's “South Speaks with Saqib,” Turkish National Defense University professor Dr. Mehmet Özkan described the pact as “extremely significant”, saying it could deepen defence cooperation, joint military exercises and coordination on regional security. He called it “the beginning of a big project” and said the three countries could eventually develop a broader regional security framework.
Özkan also said the agreement should not be viewed as a challenge to Türkiye's NATO membership, describing the pact as complementary to existing security arrangements.
The Makkah agreement therefore marks a new trilateral layer in the longstanding security relationships among Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye, while the three governments have continued to stress its defensive character and stated objective of strengthening regional peace and stability.
