Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir arrived in Turkiye on Sunday for an official visit, ahead of a significant trilateral meeting involving Pakistan, Turkiye, and Saudi Arabia. This meeting will be held in Istanbul on Monday under the recently signed Makkah Joint Defence Agreement.
The trilateral gathering marks the first meeting since the defence pact was signed on August 7. Senior officials, including foreign and defence ministers as well as the chiefs of staff from the three countries, are expected to participate. Discussions will focus on enhancing international security, strengthening defence capabilities, improving interoperability among their armed forces, and expanding cooperation within the defence industry, particularly joint production and development.
Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar also arrived in Istanbul on Sunday following his visit to the United Kingdom. He was welcomed by Turkish Deputy Chief of Staff for Administration Brigadier General Senol Varol, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Turkiye Dr. Yousaf Junaid, Turkish Foreign Ministry Ambassador Cihad Erginay, and other senior officials. However, the Foreign Office has not officially linked Dar’s visit to the upcoming defence meeting, and Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not confirmed the details of the first meeting under the defence agreement.
In a significant development, the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement commits Pakistan, Turkiye, and Saudi Arabia to collective security and deterrence. An armed attack against any one of the three nations will be considered an attack against all, a principle similar to NATO’s Article 5. The pact also promotes military coordination and collaboration in defence industries. Turkiye, which possesses NATO’s second-largest military, clarified that the agreement is not intended to replace existing alliances and may be expanded to include other countries.
This trilateral defence arrangement emerges amid escalating tensions in the Middle East and broader regional security challenges. Pakistan, Turkiye, and Saudi Arabia aim to deepen their defence and strategic cooperation in response to these concerns. Monday’s meeting will serve as a crucial platform to discuss the implementation of the new defence pact and translate it into practical military and industrial cooperation.
The meeting also occurs against the backdrop of stalled negotiations concerning the Iran conflict and ongoing instability in the Gulf region. Security threats have intensified for Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states due to missile attacks and risks to vital energy infrastructure and shipping lanes. Pakistan has positioned itself as a diplomatic intermediary, engaging with both Gulf partners and Iran while supporting efforts to reduce tensions.
Earlier this year, the R4 mechanism was established involving Pakistan, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt to facilitate mediation between Washington and Tehran. The previous meeting, held in Cairo in June, welcomed the emerging Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding between the United States and Iran.
With the Istanbul consultations coinciding with the first meeting under the new defence pact, the discussions are expected to address both immediate regional security challenges and long-term cooperation among the participating countries. For Pakistan, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar’s presence in Istanbul offers an opportunity to align diplomatic strategies with Turkiye and Saudi Arabia amid heightened regional tensions, while reinforcing expanding defence and strategic ties with these key allies.
