Photo- Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan meets Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, ahead of the expected signing of a defence deal between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey, in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, August 7, 2026. The agreement will create a ministerial committee and a general secretariat based in Saudi Arabia; Fidan indicated Egypt and other countries could eventually join once technical issues are resolved. Turkey’s foreign minister claimed a defense agreement signed by Turkey, ‌Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia is not targeting Iran, although he said it is technically ⁠the same as NATO’s Article 5 mutual defense pact that means an attack on one is an attack on all. Fidan told state-run Anadolu news agency that a committee ‌of ministers similar to that within the NATO alliance would be established, as well as a general secretariat based ‌in Saudi Arabia. On August 7, the leaders of Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan came together in the Saudi city of Mecca to sign the joint defense pact aimed at strengthening “collective deterrence against any act of aggression.”