The foreign ministers of Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Pakistan held talks in Riyadh March 19, on the sideline of a summit of Islamic countries, and discussed ways to combine their strengths for the first time, Middle East Eye reported March 21. According to MEE, Turkiye has, since last year, been seeking a security pact with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. Earlier this year, a Pakistani minister said in a statement that such a deal had been in the pipeline for nearly a year.
MEE noted that Turkish sources familiar with the issue previously said that Ankara was also trying to bring Egypt into the arrangement. The sources said the agreement would not mirror the guarantees and commitments of NATO, but would instead serve as a security platform to enable greater cooperation in the defense industry and broader defense matters.
“We are exploring how, as countries with a certain degree of influence in the region, we can combine our strengths to solve problems,” Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Saturday. “Above all, we have for some time been saying that the countries of the region should come together, hold discussions and develop ideas. We emphasize regional ownership.”
