Baku, August 7, AZERTAC
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday that the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement signed earlier in the day between Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan targets no country and remains open to the participation of other friendly nations seeking peace, prosperity and stability in the region, according to Anadolu Agency.
In a post on the Turkish social platform NSosyal, Erdogan said the agreement, based on the principle of collective deterrence, would strengthen security and defense cooperation, support joint defense industry projects and contribute to counterterrorism efforts.
He said the agreement also reaffirms the right to self-defense as defined under Article 51 of the UN Charter.
"The agreement does not target any country and is open to the participation of all brotherly countries seeking peace, prosperity and stability in our region," Erdogan said.
Türkiye, he added, would firmly maintain its principled stance in favor of resolving conflicts and crises through dialogue and diplomacy, based on respect for international law and in line with its vision of regional ownership.
Erdogan said he traveled to Mecca earlier Friday at the invitation of Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, where he met with the Saudi crown prince and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
"On this occasion, as the three countries, we signed a Joint Defense Agreement," he said.
Erdogan expressed hope that the visit, consultations and agreement would benefit the entire region.