Pakistan Eyes Egypt As New Defence Alliance With Turkey, Saudi Arabia Grows

Egypt may join the new defence pact between Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, raising fresh questions about Cairo’s growing ties with the three countries.

Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement in Mecca on Friday. Under the deal, an attack on one member would be treated as an attack on all three.

Now, Turkey says Egypt could join the pact.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Egypt is a “natural partner” and could enter the agreement after some technical issues are settled. He said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wants more countries to join the pact. Other countries have also shown interest, but Fidan did not name them.

This is where the Egypt angle becomes important.

Egypt is already working with Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia through the R4 group. The four countries held their latest foreign ministers’ meeting in Cairo on June 21. They discussed the Iran war, regional security, peace efforts and the wider crisis in the Middle East.

The four countries also welcomed the June 18 US-Iran deal signed in Islamabad. They called it a step towards reducing tensions. They also warned that the Iran conflict could hurt energy markets, shipping routes, supply chains and world trade.

Pakistan’s role is worth watching here. Islamabad has been involved in efforts linked to the US-Iran talks. Pakistan also has a close defence relationship with Saudi Arabia.

The new Turkey-Pakistan-Saudi pact builds on that relationship. Saudi Arabia and Pakistan had already signed a mutual defence deal. Turkey has now joined that wider security effort.

Fidan said the new pact is not aimed at Iran or any other country. He said the three countries have not named any state as a common enemy.

“Any country that does not attack us is not a target for us,” Fidan said.

Fidan compared the agreement’s defence clause with NATO’s Article 5. That rule says an attack on one NATO member is treated as an attack on all.

But the new pact does not mean that troops would automatically be sent into every conflict.

Fidan said a country under attack would first have to ask for help. The other members could then provide intelligence, supplies, logistical help or military forces. The response would depend on the threat.

The three countries will also set up a committee involving their foreign and defence ministers and military chiefs. A permanent secretariat will be based in Saudi Arabia.

Fidan said Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia had worked on the agreement for two years and eight months.

Turkey also says the pact will work alongside its existing security ties. It is not meant to replace them. That is important for Turkey because it is a NATO member.

The deal comes at a tense time for the region. The Iran war has raised fears over attacks, energy supplies and shipping routes. The Red Sea is also facing security problems because of attacks by the Iran-aligned Houthis.

Fidan said Turkey should take part in an international effort to protect Red Sea shipping. He said the safety of those routes directly affects Turkey.

For Saudi Arabia, the pact brings Turkey’s military strength and growing defence industry closer to its existing ties with Pakistan.

For Pakistan, the deal adds another major military partner at a time when Islamabad is trying to expand its role in regional diplomacy.

And for Egypt, the choice could be much bigger.

Cairo is already sitting at the same table as Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia through R4. The four countries have agreed to keep working together on regional peace and security.

But joining the defence pact would be different.

It would mean moving from regular talks and joint diplomacy to a formal promise to support one another if attacked.

That is why Egypt’s possible entry matters.

It could turn the three-country pact into a four-country security arrangement involving some of the Middle East’s most important military and political powers.

Still, Egypt has not yet joined the agreement. Fidan has only said that Cairo could join after technical matters are settled. Reports also suggest that Egyptian officials may have their own concerns about taking on such a defence commitment.