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Saudi, Turkey and Pakistan defense pact faces doubts on capacity

Experts cited diverging strategic interests and weak mutual defense capacity as hurdles, even as the deal mirrors an Article 5 style principle.

Reported · Written up by our desk · Trade & Tariffs

A security pact signed by Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan to enhance collective deterrence has drawn skepticism from experts who say it falls short of an “Islamic Nato” model.

The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement brings together Saudi Arabia, Turkey, a Nato member, and Pakistan, a nuclear-armed South Asian state, and centers on a statement that an armed attack on any member would be treated as an attack on all.

While the pact’s collective defense principle is technically similar to Article 5 of the transatlantic alliance, Turkey’s foreign minister Hakan Fidan said on Saturday that the agreement is not aimed at Iran or any other country, provided member states are not attacked.

The agreement is expected to face challenges tied to diverging strategic interests among the partners and what experts describe as limited mutual defense capacity, SCMP Economy reported.

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