ANKARA: A defence agreement between Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan could eventually be expanded into a broader pact involving other Muslim countries, including Iran, Turkish Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus said on Friday.
The three countries signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement in August, establishing a collective defence framework under which an armed attack against one signatory would be considered an attack against all.
Kurtulmus said the agreement would require parliamentary approval before it could formally take effect and was currently being discussed through preparatory meetings.
“For international agreements to come into effect, parliamentary approval is needed,” he told reporters in Ankara, adding that he expected the agreement to come before parliament after its recess ends in October.
Asked whether the pact was directed against Iran, Kurtulmus said Türkiye did not view the agreement as targeting any specific country.
“We never see the Makkah Agreement as a pact against Iran; it must not be that way,” he said.
He said the agreement was primarily aimed at strengthening the security of regional states amid ongoing conflicts and what he described as Israel’s hostile policies.
Kurtulmus said Iran could potentially join the agreement and expressed hope that the framework could eventually develop into a broader security arrangement for the Muslim world.
“Iran can join this agreement too; we hope it will become much stronger with the participation of other regional countries,” he said.
The Makkah agreement was signed weeks before Iran-backed Houthi forces launched attacks against Saudi Arabia amid the wider regional conflict.
The signatories have since held meetings to establish the parameters of the agreement and assess Saudi Arabia’s defence requirements.
Ankara has previously indicated that it could help meet Riyadh’s military needs, particularly in technical areas. However, Turkish officials have said any support at the current stage would largely remain bilateral and be provided in the spirit of the existing alliance because the joint agreement has yet to be ratified.
The military chiefs of Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan are also expected to meet to discuss ways of supporting Riyadh.