‘Islamic Nato’? Why Pakistan’s new defence pact has India on edge

A new defence pact between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey has raised questions in New Delhi over whether Islamabad could use the agreement to build wider security ties with Muslim-majority countries in India’s neighbourhood, analysts have said. The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, signed on Friday, states that an arme

DefenseExperts say Egypt, Qatar, Azerbaijan, Jordan and Syria could be candidatesTurkish President Tayyip Erdogan, center-left; Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, center; and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, fifth from right, perform a Friday Prayer at the Grand Mosque in Mecca on Aug. 7. (Photo from Saudi

Turkey’s vision of ‘Sunni Muslim Nato’ requires a big leap of faith  The Times

Why Egypt held back from joining Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan's defence pact Ragip Soylu on Mon, 08/10/2026 - 15:21 Despite sustained Turkish efforts, Cairo declined to join as it sought to balance its security ties with Israel and the UAE Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi greets

The new defence pact builds on a previous agreement signed between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia a year ago, with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan claiming it is technically the same as NATO's Article 5 mutual defence agreement.

Pakistan’s foreign minister said Sunday a new defence agreement his country signed with Saudi Arabia and Turkey was not directed against any country and remained open to other nations in the region.

While Egypt has been floated as a candidate, analysts say Cairo may be wary of defence commitments.

Turkey expects Egypt to join a new defence pact with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan aimed at strengthening regional security amid the Middle East war.

The pact creates a framework for Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey to potentially form a defence industry.

A defense pact signed between Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia is technically the same as NATO’s Article 5 mutual defense agreement, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Saturday, adding the accord was not targeting Iran.Fidan also said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wanted to see the alliance expand,

ANKARA, Aug 8 (Reuters) - A defence pact signed between Turkey, 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 Tayyip Erdogan wanted to see

The new defense pact between Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan will establish NATO-style security mechanisms, Ankara says.

Turkey, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia defence pact technically same as NATO's Article 5, Turkish minister says  Reuters

Pakistan's defense minister has put forth an innovative concept for an Islamic military coalition, reminiscent of NATO's structure. This initiative follows a newly established defense pact with Saudi Arabia and Turkey, ensuring collective protection against external attacks. By leveraging Saudi wealth, Turkish defense

The remarks came on the day Pakistan signed a defence pact with Turkey and Saudi Arabia in the holy city of Mecca.