Turkey, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia hold first Mecca Joint Defense Alliance meeting in Istanbul

Kabul Times News: The first meeting of the Strategic and Defense Committee of the ‘Mecca Joint Defense Alliance’ will be held in Istanbul tomorrow, a meeting where senior political and military officials of Turkey, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia will discuss the future of defense, security, and military cooperation between the three countries.

The meeting is expected to be attended by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Defense Minister Yaşar Güler, and General Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu, Chief of General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces.

Also attending from Pakistan will be Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, and Field Marshal Asim Munir, Chief of Army Staff and Commander of the Defense Forces.

Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan, Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman, and General Fayyaz bin Hamid Al-Ruwaili, Chief of General Staff of the Saudi Armed Forces, are also expected to attend the meeting.

According to the published information, the most important topics of the meeting will be reviewing the international security situation, developing defense capabilities, and increasing coordination between the armed forces of the three countries.

The officials of the three countries are also scheduled to discuss cooperation in defense industries, joint production of military equipment, research and development of defense technologies, and strengthening cooperation in combating terrorism.

One of the important topics of the meeting is the establishment of a specific framework for coordinating joint activities. The committee members are scheduled to discuss the establishment of a secretariat and joint coordination mechanisms.

The three countries are also expected to agree on a roadmap for defense and security cooperation in the future.

Holding the first meeting of the Strategic and Defense Committee could be an important step towards institutionalizing security and defense cooperation between Turkey, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia.

The focus on increasing interoperability between the armed forces, joint production of defense equipment, military research, and cooperation in combating terrorism shows that this coalition is seeking to establish practical mechanisms for long-term cooperation.

Given the simultaneous presence of senior political and military officials from the three countries, the decisions of the Istanbul summit could determine the framework for the alliance's defense cooperation in the coming months.
Abdul Haq Hamidi_Kabul Times News