Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said Egypt could join a new defense pact between Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, signaling that the agreement could expand beyond its three founding members and become a broader regional security framework.
Erdogan made the remarks in an interview with Al Jazeera on Saturday, August 16, 2026, saying Turkey’s vision for the Mecca agreement was not limited to the three countries that signed it. He said the pact remained open to additional members.
Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed the defense agreement in Mecca on August 7. Under the agreement, an armed attack against any one of the three countries would be treated as an attack against all three, with the members committing to greater defense coordination and cooperation.
The agreement has not been fully detailed publicly, but Turkish and Pakistani officials have described it as covering defense cooperation and related areas. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has previously identified Egypt as a potential participant, describing Cairo as a “natural partner” and saying only technical issues needed to be resolved.
Egypt has not yet formally joined the pact. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty has said Cairo needs to examine the agreement’s legal implications and the obligations that would arise from any defense commitments before making a decision.
The pact reportedly includes mechanisms for political and military coordination, joint land, naval, air and cyber exercises, and cooperation in the defense industry. Turkish officials have said the agreement is not directed against any particular country and is not intended to replace existing alliances or security partnerships.
The proposed expansion comes amid heightened security tensions across the Middle East and wider debate among regional governments over future security arrangements and the role of the United States in the region.
If Egypt joins, the agreement would expand from a three-country defense arrangement into a broader regional security partnership, potentially increasing military coordination among some of the Middle East’s major powers and strengthening their collective deterrence capabilities.
