Erdogan says Egypt could join Turkiye-Saudi-Pakistan defence pact

What the report says

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Al Jazeera that Egypt could join the recently signed defence agreement between Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, saying the pact is open to additional members. In the interview, recorded for Al Jazeera’s Al Muqabala and set to air on Sunday evening, he described the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement as a signal to the world and said Cairo’s participation was a possible future option.

The accord was signed last Friday in Mecca by Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. According to the article, it says an armed attack on one signatory would be treated as an attack on all three, a collective-defence clause that some analysts have compared with NATO’s Article 5. Pakistani officials, however, have warned against treating it as a direct NATO equivalent or as aimed at any one state.

Erdogan also used the interview to discuss wider regional tensions, including the Strait of Hormuz and the conflicts in Syria, Gaza and Lebanon. He said Turkiye would continue supporting stability in neighbouring countries and pledged backing for Gaza, Syria, Sudan and Libya. He also raised concerns about European Union accession prospects and said he was waiting for Washington to follow through on a pledge regarding F-35 fighter jets. The broader context is that Turkiye has been seeking to strengthen regional ties while navigating disputes with Western partners and ongoing Middle East conflicts.