Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan will establish political and military mechanisms to co-ordinate their defence and security policies under a pact signed last week, the Turkish Defence Ministry said on today.
The three allies of the US signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement on August 7 to deepen military and defence industry co-operation. They said the accord stipulates that an armed attack against any member would be regarded as an attack on all, similar to Nato’s Article 5 collective defence clause.
At a weekly briefing in Ankara, the Defence Ministry said the mechanisms will bring together the countries’ defence and foreign ministers and military chiefs, with co-ordination taking place at the highest level. The pact also envisages gradually expanding joint military exercises, beginning with command-post and field drills and later involving land, sea, air, air defence and unmanned systems.
It said the agreement aims to strengthen the three countries’ ability to respond jointly to potential crises and develop their operational capabilities.
