Palestinian Authority, Bahrain, Muslim World League Welcome Saudi-Pakistan-Türkiye Defense Pact

This handout photograph taken and released by Turkish Presidency Press Office on August 7, 2026, shows Minister of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia Prince Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud (3rd L), Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (4th L), Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (5th L), Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (C), Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif (5th R), Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman al-Saud (4th R), and their delegations as they pose after signing a trilateral joint defense agreement in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Handout / Turkish Presidency Press Office / AFP)
This handout photograph taken and released by Turkish Presidency Press Office on August 7, 2026, shows Minister of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia Prince Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud (3rd L), Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (4th L), Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (5th L), Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (C), Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif (5th R), Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman al-Saud (4th R), and their delegations as they pose after signing a trilateral joint defense agreement in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Handout / Turkish Presidency Press Office / AFP)
TT

Palestinian Authority, Bahrain, Muslim World League Welcome Saudi-Pakistan-Türkiye Defense Pact

This handout photograph taken and released by Turkish Presidency Press Office on August 7, 2026, shows Minister of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia Prince Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud (3rd L), Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (4th L), Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (5th L), Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (C), Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif (5th R), Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman al-Saud (4th R), and their delegations as they pose after signing a trilateral joint defense agreement in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Handout / Turkish Presidency Press Office / AFP)
This handout photograph taken and released by Turkish Presidency Press Office on August 7, 2026, shows Minister of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia Prince Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud (3rd L), Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (4th L), Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (5th L), Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (C), Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif (5th R), Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman al-Saud (4th R), and their delegations as they pose after signing a trilateral joint defense agreement in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Handout / Turkish Presidency Press Office / AFP)

The Palestinian Authority, Bahrain and the Muslim World League have welcomed the new mutual defense agreement between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye, as Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari also hailed the pact as an important development that would promote peace, security and stability in the region and the world.

In a statement issued on Friday, the Palestinian Presidency stressed that strengthening the capabilities of the nations and enhancing their integration and cooperation in protecting their security, sovereignty and legitimate interests constitute a fundamental pillar of regional stability and the preservation of their peoples' resources.

The Bahraini Ministry of Foreign Affairs commended the three countries' defense capabilities and military expertise, their roles in promoting regional security and stability, and their commitment to international agreements and conventions.

The ministry described the agreement as a strategic partnership that contributes to safeguarding security and stability in the region and the world and strengthens the effect of joint deterrence.

The MWL General Secretariat issued a statement commending the agreement, particularly its foundation in bonds of brotherhood and Islamic solidarity, which it said would strengthen collective security and contribute to peace, stability and prosperity across the region and the wider international community.

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari welcomed the signing of the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement, describing it as an important step toward promoting peace, security and stability in the region and beyond.

Zardari said the agreement would strengthen the joint defense capabilities of the three countries and demonstrate their shared commitment to building a secure, stable and prosperous future for their peoples.

On Friday, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan signed the “Makkah Joint Defense Agreement,” under which “any armed attack on any one of the three countries will be regarded as an attack against them all.”

 

 



Turkish Parliament Ratifies Makkah Defense Pact

General view of the Turkish Parliament. (Reuters – File Photo)
General view of the Turkish Parliament. (Reuters – File Photo)
TT

Turkish Parliament Ratifies Makkah Defense Pact

General view of the Turkish Parliament. (Reuters – File Photo)
General view of the Turkish Parliament. (Reuters – File Photo)

Türkiye's parliament ratified a regional defense pact involving Saudi Arabia and Pakistan overnight, state media reported.

The three countries signed the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement in August, committing them to come to one another's aid if any member is attacked.

Lawmakers approved the measure by 279 votes to 119, according to the state-run Anadolu news agency.

During parliamentary debates, ruling AKP lawmaker Ziya Altunyaldiz said the agreement was not directed against any third country and was intended to prevent conflicts rather than escalate them, Anadolu reported.


Coalition Destroys Drone in Makkah, 2 Ballistic Missiles Fired at Najran

Official Spokesperson of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen Major General Turki Al-Malki. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Official Spokesperson of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen Major General Turki Al-Malki. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
TT

Coalition Destroys Drone in Makkah, 2 Ballistic Missiles Fired at Najran

Official Spokesperson of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen Major General Turki Al-Malki. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Official Spokesperson of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen Major General Turki Al-Malki. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Official Spokesperson for the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen Major General Turki Al-Malki announced on Friday the interception and downing of a drone over the Makkah Region. 

Saudi defenses had earlier destroyed two ballistic missiles fired by the terrorist Houthi militia at Saudi Arabia's Najran, he added. 

Debris fell as a result of the interception, and an assessment of the damage is currently underway. 


Saudi Arabia and Türkiye Seek to Strengthen Security Cooperation

(L) Saudi Interior Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif and (R) his Turkish counterpart, Mustafa Ciftci. (SPA)
(L) Saudi Interior Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif and (R) his Turkish counterpart, Mustafa Ciftci. (SPA)
TT

Saudi Arabia and Türkiye Seek to Strengthen Security Cooperation

(L) Saudi Interior Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif and (R) his Turkish counterpart, Mustafa Ciftci. (SPA)
(L) Saudi Interior Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif and (R) his Turkish counterpart, Mustafa Ciftci. (SPA)

Saudi Interior Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif met his Turkish counterpart, Mustafa Ciftci, in Ankara on Thursday for talks focused on strengthening security cooperation between the two countries.

Prince Abdulaziz said the directives of King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman emphasized the importance of further developing bilateral security cooperation, building on the close ties between the two countries.

Prince Abdulaziz said the two countries' longstanding historical and fraternal ties had set an example of cooperation and coordination across various fields.

He said the Makkah Defense Agreement, signed by Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan, reflects the strength of Riyadh-Ankara relations and their converging strategic interests and priorities amid the current geopolitical landscape. The agreement marks an important step that demonstrates the two countries' leaderships' commitment to addressing regional and international crises, he added.

The talks focused on strengthening security cooperation and coordination, including efforts to combat extremist groups and cross-border crimes such as drug smuggling and trafficking, amid regional and global challenges.

Both sides stressed the importance of further strengthening security cooperation in areas of mutual interest, developing partnership frameworks and coordinating efforts on security issues in line with the aspirations of their countries' leaderships.