Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye to Hold First Defence Pact Meeting
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye are set to hold the first meeting under their joint defence agreement in Istanbul on Monday, marking the next institutional step in a security partnership signed earlier this month. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has arrived in the Turkish city for official engagements connected with the meeting, according to Pakistan's Foreign Office.
The Foreign Office said the Istanbul discussions will review the framework of the trilateral defence agreement and assess progress on its implementation. The gathering follows the agreement concluded in Makkah on August 7 in the presence of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
A Turkish foreign ministry source cited by Reuters said foreign and defence ministers, along with the chiefs of staff of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye, are expected to participate. International security issues are also due to feature on the agenda, with the three countries expected to discuss ways to strengthen defence capabilities, improve coordination between their armed forces and deepen cooperation in the defence industry.
The agreement is designed around collective deterrence and broader defence cooperation among the three countries. Reporting on the pact has indicated that an armed attack against one of the participating states would be treated as an attack against all three. The partnership also provides a framework for closer military coordination and potential collaboration on defence production and development projects.
Turkish President Erdogan has previously said the agreement is not directed against any particular country. He described it as a mechanism intended to strengthen security and defence cooperation, support joint defence-industry projects and contribute to counterterrorism efforts. Turkiye has also indicated that the arrangement could remain open to other countries seeking regional peace, security and stability.
Dar was received in Istanbul by Turkish and Pakistani officials, including Brigadier General Senol Varol, Pakistan's Ambassador to Turkiye Dr Yousaf Junaid and senior representatives of the Turkish foreign ministry. After arriving, Dar visited the shrine of Hazrat Abu Ayyub Ansari, where he offered prayers for Pakistan's peace, security and prosperity and for unity among Muslim countries. He is also scheduled to hold other official meetings during his stay in Turkiye.
The trilateral meeting comes at a time of heightened security concerns across the wider Middle East and surrounding regions. Pakistan has maintained close strategic ties with both Saudi Arabia and Turkiye, while all three countries have increasingly explored practical cooperation in defence, security and technology. For Islamabad, the new mechanism could expand military-to-military coordination while creating further opportunities for joint defence-industrial initiatives.
Attention will now focus on what institutional arrangements emerge from the Istanbul session and how the three governments translate the Makkah agreement into operational cooperation. Decisions on interoperability, defence production, security consultations and future meetings will determine the practical scope of the pact as Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye move from the signing stage toward implementation.