Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement signed by Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan was not an alliance against any specific country, including Iran or Israel. He said in a recent media interview that the pact aimed to strengthen regional security, deterrence and stability.
Erdogan said the agreement was based on the right to self-defense recognized under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter. Its core provision treats an armed attack on any one of the three countries as an attack on all three, but the response would depend on the needs and request of the country attacked.
Assistance could include intelligence, logistical support or ammunition, he said, while broader military support could be discussed depending on the level of threat. Erdogan stressed that the agreement did not create a predetermined mechanism for automatic Turkish military intervention after an attack.
He said it would be inappropriate to predetermine an automatic military response to every possible incident in Iraq, Yemen or elsewhere in the Middle East. Decisions would instead be made according to circumstances through political and military processes.
Discussing relations with Israel, Erdogan alleged that a campaign had recently emerged there portraying Turkey as a potential threat. He linked it to Israel’s domestic political process and current election environment.
Erdogan said Turkey retained the ability to communicate with all parties in regional and international conflicts and could pursue peace initiatives in crises ranging from the Russia-Ukraine war to conflicts in the Middle East.
He described stability in Syria as important to regional security. Erdogan said bringing all armed groups under a central state structure was necessary to strengthen Syrian sovereignty, territorial integrity and social unity. He said Turkey supported a process in which Kurds could live safely and freely on the basis of equal citizenship.
Erdogan said Turkey was also closely monitoring developments in Iran. He said Iran’s internal problems should be resolved by the Iranian people without outside interference, while alleging that the PKK/PJAK was trying to exploit the situation.
He presented the Mecca pact as a framework for mutual security and deterrence among the three countries rather than a new military alliance against Iran or Israel, while signaling that Turkey would maintain contact with different sides in regional conflicts.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report