A defence pact signed between Türkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia is technically the same as NATO's Article 5 mutual defence agreement, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Saturday, adding the accord was not targeting Iran.
Fidan also said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan wanted to see the alliance expand, and that Egypt was a potential candidate to join, among others. The regional powers signed the "Mecca Joint Defence Agreement" on Friday, with Sunni Muslim allies alarmed at a regional conflagration that has brought Iranian missile fire onto Gulf oil exporters.
In a joint statement, they said the accord intended to strengthen collective deterrence against any act of aggression and stipulates that an armed attack against any of the three would be regarded as an attack on all.
Speaking to the state-run Anadolu news agency, Fidan said the new alliance was not directed against Iran or any other country, but rather served as a general pledge to support the three allies' security. He added that the allies would decide through consultations what degree, form, and format of support they would ask for in the event of an attack, but that no country would be considered a threat as long as a member state is not attacked.
Türkiye, which has NATO's second-largest army, has said the pact was open to expansion to other regional countries and did not seek to replace any existing alliances.
"NATO is a giant military alliance where there are 32 countries. We have started here as three countries and we have to take very humble but concrete steps," he said, adding efforts to finalise the pact had been underway for two years and eight months.
He added that a committee of ministers similar to that within NATO would be formed as part of the alliance, as well as a general secretariat based in Saudi Arabia, but that operational details would be set at the first committee meeting.
"Our president's vision is that we don't remain limited to three countries, that we grow and bring together all (regional) countries under this roof," he said, adding Egypt could potentially join the pact once certain technical matters are resolved. In recent months, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Egypt formed a group to address regional issues, namely the war on Iran. Türkiye has said the group - dubbed the R4 - aims to solidify its partnership through concrete mechanisms.
Fidan also said Türkiye should be involved in an international coalition to protect shipping in the Red Sea from Houthi attacks because shipping safety concerns Ankara's interests.
On the Russia-Ukraine war, Fidan said that when the war of attrition extends beyond the front lines, the conflict becomes a matter of national survival.
"When the war of attrition turns into attrition beyond the front lines, the issue becomes whether a nation will continue to exist. You use whatever means you have at your disposal," he said.
On the island of Cyprus, Fidan said Türkiye does not recognize the Greek Cypriot Administration as a state and stressed that the rights of Turkish Cypriots must be respected.
"We do not recognize the Greek Cypriot side as a state. If you do not recognize the rights of Turkish Cypriots, then I do not recognize your statehood," Fidan said.
"You are not the state established in 1960," he added.
Fidan also said peace and stability on the island of Cyprus are due to the presence of Turkish soldiers on the island.
He also called for continuing the international political isolation of Israel, saying this is something Israel fears the most.
