Riyadh:Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will attend a meeting of the Strategic Political and Defense Committee in Riyadh, established under the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. This alliance was founded in August.
According to Anadolu Agency, Fidan will be joined by National Defense Minister Yasar Guler and Chief of General Staff Gen. Selcuk Bayraktaroglu at the meeting. The discussions will include Trkiye's perspectives on institutionalizing the alliance and future steps, as well as evaluations of threats to Middle East peace and stability.
Fidan is expected to express Trkiye's views on regional developments related to collective security and emphasize the significance of progress made since the alliance's inception. He will reaffirm Trkiye's support for Saudi Arabia amid recent Houthi attacks and stress that provocative actions targeting holy sites are unacceptable.
The meeting will highlight the alliance's role in developing joint responses to threats and preventing regional crises. Fidan will prioritize resolving disputes through peaceful means and avoiding actions that could escalate tensions.
Additionally, Fidan is set to emphasize the importance of ensuring freedom and security of navigation along international trade routes and address concerns about Israel's actions impacting regional peace and stability.
The Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, signed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, aims to enhance security through collective deterrence and defense. A Strategic Political and Defense Committee, including the foreign and defense ministers and chiefs of General Staff from the three nations, was formed to guide the agreement's activities. The committee held its first meeting in Istanbul on August 31, where foundational decisions were made, including establishing the alliance's secretariat in Riyadh. Retired Pakistani Lt. Gen. Nauman Mahmood was nominated as the alliance's first secretary-general.