Mecca Joint Defense Agreement

Why Libya’s embrace of Turkey’s maritime deal reshapes the Mediterranean alignment - analysis

With so many condemnations pouring in, why would Libya decide now is a good time to bring up this issue?

|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Turkish Navy frigate Gaziantep escorts drilling vessel Fatih off the Mediterranean resort city of Antalya, Turkey.
TURKISH PRESIDENT Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, pose after signing a joint defense agreement in Mecca, August 7, 2026.

What does the text of Pakistan-Saudi Arabia-Turkey defense pact say? - explainer

The permanent secretariat, rotating leadership, regular ministerial meetings, and provision to admit new members suggest something more ambitious than a typical defense-cooperation memorandum.

|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
A Turkish soldier participating an a NATO exercise, Barbate, Spain, March 28, 2025; illustrative.

Turkey to submit mandate to parliament allowing military personnel to be deployed to Saudi Arabia

The lawmaker, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the mandate would be sent to parliament once a bill ratifying the accord has been approved.

|ByREUTERS
US President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman hold hands during a meeting in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, US, November 18, 2025.

Trump's push for Israel-Saudi relations faces obstacles amid elections, Houthi attacks - analysis

As Houthi attacks pressure Riyadh, Israel and US elections complicate Washington’s normalization ambitions, while Saudi public opinion and demands for Palestinian statehood remain obstacles.

|ByGIORGIA VALENTE/THE MEDIA LINE

Saudi Arabia's new agreement with Turkey, Pakistan puts stability on dangerous ground - editorial

Riyadh must decide whether its new alliances will strengthen regional stability or give greater influence to governments seeking to turn Israel into the common enemy.

AUGUST 10, 2026ByJPOST EDITORIAL
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, accompanied by their ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defence, pose after signing a joint defence agreement in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, August 7, 2026.

Iran releases video claiming Khamenei unharmed, shares new demands for re-opening Strait of Hormuz

Netanyahu reportedly agrees to Trump's Gaza plan • Houthis continue strikes in Yemen • Iran says 'no reason' to fear new Mecca defense pact

AUGUST 10, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
Israeli soldiers carry out a foot patrol through the market, in the Old City of Nablus, in the West Bank on August 9, 2026.

India-Israel ties will bloom amid Middle East's new Mecca Pact - analysis

Ties with Greece and Cyprus are also likely to benefit from the agreement, with Athens and Nicosia as concerned about an expanded Turkish footprint in the eastern Mediterranean as Jerusalem is.

AUGUST 9, 2026ByHERB KEINON
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi meet in Jerusalem, February 26, 2026.

Turkey, Saudi, Pakistan defense pact complicates Israel normalization hopes, expert tells 'Post'

Saudi Arabia, the hardest-hit of all three countries, likely joined the pact so it would have more leverage and options as trust in Washington is waning in the region, Guzansky said.

AUGUST 9, 2026ByDANIELLE GREYMAN-KENNARD
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif pose after signing a joint defence agreement in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, August 7, 2026.