Egypt could join Makkah defense pact, says Turkish foreign minister

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Saturday that Egypt could join the newly signed Makkah Joint Defense Agreement, describing the country as a natural partner in the emerging regional security framework.

Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan signed the pact on Friday in the Saudi city of Makkah.

The agreement stipulates that an armed attack against any one of the three countries will be regarded as an attack against them all.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif formalized the deal amid heightened regional tensions.

In an interview with Türkiye’s state-run Anadolu Agency, Fidan explained that the agreement is “technically similar to NATO’s Article 5 on collective defense.”

He stressed its purely defensive character: “There is no common threat that we have put in writing.”

No country that refrains from attacking the signatories is a target, he added, and “Iran is not in the crosshairs of this agreement.”

Fidan expressed confidence that Egypt would come on board. “I believe that at the next stage Egypt will also be among us in the alliance. We already act toward one another as if we were alliance members,” he said.

“There are a few technical issues. Once these are implemented, there is no reason for Egypt not to be part of it.”

He called Egypt a “natural partner on all issues.”

Preparations for the deal had been underway for nearly two years and eight months and involved both the signatories and other regional countries, Fidan noted.

Under the arrangement, a country under attack would request assistance and specify the form of support needed—ranging from intelligence and logistics to ammunition or military units.

The alliance will establish a political and military committee of foreign and defense ministers and chiefs of general staff, with a secretariat based in Saudi Arabia.

Fidan framed the pact as a major step toward regional stability.

“The agreement was the most important step toward bringing lasting stability to this region,” he said. He underscored President Erdoğan’s broader vision: “Under our president’s vision, we should not remain limited to three countries. We should grow and, if necessary, bring all countries under this umbrella.”

Several countries have already shown interest in joining, according to the minister.