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Will the Mecca Pact Deter Attacks Against Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey?

Pakistan has historically enjoyed close friendly ties with Saudi Arabia and Turkey. So why did the three nations feel the need to formalize these ties with a mutual defense agreement in Mecca this week? Many answers to this question can all be traced to a fundamental change in the security environment in the Middle East. Foremost among these changes is the extremely reckless behavior of the state of Israel which has had full political, military, economic and diplomatic backing of the West. This unqualified western support began with the Gaza genocide and culminated in the launch of joint US-Israeli assault on Iran in February this year.

The entire Middle East region and the Islamic world has helplessly witnessed as the Israeli military butchered innocent civilians in Palestine and Lebanon and threatened to expand the war to the entire region. Some Israeli politicians issued warnings to Turkey and Pakistan. During this period, the West not only failed to restrain Israel but actively supported it with funds and weapons. The United States and Britain also suppressed domestic criticism of Israel by arresting or deporting people. They went after the chief prosector and the judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC) after it issued war crimes indictments of Israeli officials for their conduct in Gaza.

The joint Israeli-American aggression against Iran has spiraled into Iranian attacks against the US bases in the Persian Gulf region. Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz, strangling the flow of oil and gas to the rest of the world. It has caused high oil prices, negatively impacting the global economy, Pakistan has stepped in to broker a ceasefire and mediate between the United States and Iran.

While there are many explanations and interpretations of the rationale for the Mecca Pact, there is no question that signing such a mutual defense agreement has been accelerated by the security situation created by Israeli aggression in the Middle East which was fully backed by the United States and other major western nations. It seems that the United States and its western allies have legitimized the principle of "might is right" in the Middle East. Essentially, the law of the jungle has replaced the "rules-based" world order. Hard power now matters more than ever.

In recent years, Pakistan has emerged as a credible military power in terms of both conventional and nuclear capabilities. The Pakistani military's strong performance was recognized in May this year as it responded to what India called its "Operation Sindoor". The country has developed a range of short and medium-range missiles capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear warheads. Its longest range missile Shaheen 3 can hit deep inside India and Israel. In 2024, the Biden administration imposed sanctions against Pakistan after accusing it of developing intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) capable of reaching the US mainland.

Combining the Turkish military-industrial capacity with Saudi economic resources and Pakistan's large military and nuclear umbrella creates a formidable deterrent to any adventurism by Israel or any other hostile power against any of these three countries. That is the fundamental value of the Mecca Pact.

On the global stage, Pakistan has long sought to balance its foreign policy between China and the United States through a pragmatic hedging strategy, gaining economic, military, and diplomatic benefits from both superpowers while maintaining strategic autonomy. But the relationship between Pakistan and China is not the same as the one between Pakistan and the United States. Pakistan's ties with China are strategic while those with the United States remain tactical and transactional. What has changed recently is that Pakistan is no longer waging war to help the United States as it did during the "Cold War" and the "War on Terror". Instead, Pakistan has emerged as a peacemaker between the US and Iran.

Comment by Riaz Haq 2 hours ago: Turkey, Qatar, Pakistan, Indonesia Agree to Expand Defense Cooperation

https://thedefensepost.com/2026/10/22/turkey-qatar-pakistan-indones...

Turkey, Qatar, Pakistan, and Indonesia have signed a defense cooperation agreement covering military production, technical training, and research and development, Reuters reported.

Signed in Doha, the Badr Memorandum of Understanding aims to expand cooperation among the four countries’ defense industries and strengthen their military capabilities.

The agreement would link the four nations’ defense manufacturing capabilities to meet their military needs and supply equipment to other partner nations.

Expanding Defense Partnerships
The agreement follows an August mutual defense pact between Turkey, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia that treats an attack on any member as an attack on all three.

Houthi strikes on the kingdom have tested that commitment, but the pact has yet to produce substantial additional military support, Reuters reported.

Turkey is still seeking parliamentary ratification and has ruled out offensive operations, while Pakistan has not reinforced its existing presence in Saudi Arabia.

According to Reuters, Ankara has also been helping Gulf countries strengthen their defenses amid the war with Iran.

Turkey maintains a military base in Qatar and has established defense industry ties with Indonesia, which signed a contract to purchase 48 Turkish KAAN fighter jets.

In May, Baykar signed its first export agreement for the Bayraktar Kizilelma combat drone with Indonesia’s Republikorp.

The deal covers 12 aircraft, with deliveries starting in 2028, options for 48 more, and plans for production and maintenance facilities in Indonesia.

Earlier this year, Turkey’s TAIS Shipyards signed a $1-billion agreement with Qatar’s Barzan Holding to build two Istanbul-class frigates for the Indonesian Navy.

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