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A Turkish foreign ministry source told Reuters that foreign and defence ministers along with the chiefs of staff from Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan will attend the Istanbul meeting. The session represents the operational launch of the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement that the three countries signed on August 7. Discussions will address international security issues while focusing on ways to strengthen defence capabilities, increase interoperability among their armed forces and advance cooperation in the defence industry including joint production and development projects.
The agreement establishes that an armed attack against any one of the three would be regarded as an attack on all, a clause similar to NATO’s Article 5, according to the Turkish source. It was concluded among the Sunni Muslim U.S. allies amid concerns over the Iran war and regional conflicts that have included Iranian missile strikes on Gulf oil exporters, Reuters reported. The source added that the pact aims to bolster collective deterrence without supplanting existing alliances each nation maintains.
Turkey, which possesses NATO’s second-largest military, has stated the agreement remains open to expansion and has identified Egypt as a potential future participant, the news agency said. The Istanbul gathering comes three weeks after the pact was formally signed in Mecca by the leaders of the three countries. Preparations for the meeting reflect a desire to translate the framework into practical military and industrial coordination.
An assessment published by Al Jazeera drew on the 2026 Global Firepower Index to highlight the combined military strength of the three nations, which together maintain nearly 1.4 million active personnel. The countries operate more than 3,400 military aircraft, around 6,000 tanks and over 340 naval assets while their combined defence budgets exceed 120 billion dollars annually. Pakistan supplies the largest share of active troops followed by Turkey and Saudi Arabia according to the index data.
The 2026 Global Firepower Index places Pakistan ninth globally in overall military capability while Turkey ranks tenth and Saudi Arabia twelfth, a separate GlobalMilitary.net compilation showed. Turkey maintains advantages in naval assets and technological self-sufficiency whereas Pakistan contributes significant manpower and nuclear deterrence. Saudi Arabia provides the largest individual defence budget among the three partners.
A report in The Diplomat described the pact as extending Pakistan’s security role westward while building upon its existing bilateral defence agreement with Saudi Arabia. The Istanbul meeting is expected to produce initial steps on joint planning and industrial collaboration among the signatories. Officials have indicated that outcomes from the session could include enhanced intelligence sharing and standardised training protocols.
