Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said that it is an important step towards promoting peace, stability and defence cooperation in the region.
In a statement, Erdoğan said he visited Makkah at the invitation of Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman. During the visit, he held talks with the Saudi Crown Prince and Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. "Makkah defence agreement between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye is not directed against any country," he said.
He said the three countries signed a joint defence agreement during the meeting. The agreement aims to strengthen collective defence capability, promote joint projects in the defence industry and expand effective cooperation against terrorism.
Erdoğan said the agreement also affirms the right of self-defence under Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations. He said the agreement is not against any country and remains open to all friendly states seeking peace, prosperity and stability in the region.
The Turkish president said Türkiye would continue to support dialogue and diplomacy as the basis for resolving conflicts and crises.
He also expressed the hope that the agreement would bring peace, stability, prosperity and blessings to the entire region.
