Turkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia invoke Mecca defence pact for first time

6 October 2026

Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan agreed on Monday to activate collective deterrence measures under the Mecca Alliance for Defence.
Their defence and foreign ministers met in Riyadh in an emergency meeting.
It is the first time the alliance has been invoked since it was signed on 7 August.
The pact treats an attack on any one of the three as an attack on all, as in NATO's founding treaty.
A joint statement said the countries would provide agreed forces and ensure their rapid deployment to Saudi Arabia.
The move came as Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces began a counteroffensive against the Houthis.