Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Tuesday that the joint defense agreement between Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan would contribute to peace and stability at the regional and global levels, stressing that the agreement is based on regional ownership and collective deterrence.
Speaking at the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s heads of state and government in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek, Erdoğan said the two foundations support the agreement’s role in enhancing stability.
Enhancing capabilities and defense cooperation
Erdoğan made the statement a day after the agreement’s Political, Strategic and Defense Committee issued a joint statement affirming the three countries’ determination to enhance their defense capabilities and the cohesion of their armed forces through joint activities.
This includes cooperation in the defense industries, as well as the development of joint production and technologies. The final statement of the committee’s first meeting, held in Istanbul, also affirmed continued joint efforts to achieve lasting peace and stability.
The three countries pledged to support de-escalation and restraint efforts and to encourage peaceful solutions to crises as part of their regional responsibilities.
Shared commitments and a deterrence mechanism
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif signed the joint defense agreement in Mecca on 7 August.
According to the signatory countries, the agreement aims to strengthen commitments to peace, stability and well-being regionally and globally, based on burden-sharing and a common understanding of security. It also stipulates that any armed attack on one of the three countries will be considered an attack on all of them.
