Türkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia activate Mecca defence pact
The pact stipulates that an attack on any one of the three member states will be treated as an attack on all, reflecting the principle of collective defence
Türkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia agreed on Monday to activate collective deterrence measures and rapidly deploy military forces to Saudi Arabia under the Mecca Alliance for Defence, following an emergency meeting of defence and foreign ministers in Riyadh.
The decision marks the first time the mutual defence pact has been invoked since it was signed on 7 August 2026, says Al Jazeera.
The pact stipulates that an attack on any one of the three member states will be treated as an attack on all, reflecting the principle of collective defence.
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Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said in a joint statement that each country would contribute agreed military capabilities for rapid deployment to Saudi Arabia under approved national legal frameworks.
Saudi Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman said the measures were activated to demonstrate unity and confront attacks targeting Saudi Arabia and its holy sites.
The activation was triggered by escalating attacks from Yemen's Houthis. The group claimed strikes on Saudi targets including King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, an Aramco oil refinery in Rabigh and an airbase, although Saudi authorities did not officially confirm those specific claims.
The Mecca Alliance was formed in August 2026 amid heightened regional conflict driven by the US-Israel war on Iran. Its activation had previously been delayed as Türkiye and Pakistan sought to maintain their roles as diplomatic mediators in the broader regional war.
In early September, Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif warned that any unprovoked aggression or spillover from Yemen into Saudi Arabia would set the Mecca agreement into motion.
According to the 2026 Global Firepower Index, the three allies have combined military assets of nearly 1.4 million active troops, 3,400 aircraft, 6,000 tanks and more than 340 naval assets.
The alliance's activation coincided with a ground counteroffensive by Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces, which retook the Red Sea port of Mocha and established control over the strategic Bab al-Mandeb strait.
The Saudi-led coalition confirmed that it was committing 100 fighter jets to provide air support for Yemeni forces during the offensive.
Security analyst Abdulaziz Alghashian said persistent Houthi attacks had served as the direct catalyst that accelerated the alliance's structural formation.
Analysts view the deployment as a critical milestone representing the practical rollout of an emerging regional security architecture in the Middle East.
