Erdogan says Egypt could join Turkiye-Saudi-Pakistan defence pact

Published On 15 Aug 202615 Aug 2026Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Egypt could join the joint defence agreement recently signed by Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, describing Cairo’s accession as “possible” and the pact as open to further members.Speaking to Al Jazeera in an exclusive interview for Al Muqabala (The Interview), which will air on Sunday evening on Al Jazeera Arabic, Erdogan said the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement commits signatories to taking unified steps should any one of them come under external attack.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Turkiye’s AK Party turns 25: A journey of change and renewallist 2 of 3Saudi Arabia announces start of Red Sea defence alliance: Will it work?list 3 of 3Mutual defence: The alliances that preceded Turkiye-Pakistan-Saudi pactend of list“This agreement has sent an important message to the world,” Erdogan said, adding that Egypt’s participation was among the options for its future expansion.The deal, also known as the Mecca Pact, was signed in the holy city last Friday by Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif. It stipulates that an armed attack against an...