Egypt could join Pakistan‑Saudi‑Turkey defence pact once technical issues are resolved, Turkish foreign minister says.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Saturday that Egypt could join the defence pact signed by Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia once technical issues are addressed. He added that Egypt is already a natural partner on all matters and that the three states already act as if Egypt were a member of the alliance, but that several technical issues remain to be resolved. The pact, called the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, was signed in the Saudi city on Friday. It is designed to strengthen collective deterrence by treating an attack on one member as an attack on all three countries. Fidan explained that the agreement is technically similar to NATO’s Article 5 mutual defence clause. The pact contains general commitments; how they are applied will depend on discussions and decisions by relevant bodies. Requests for assistance can range from intelligence and logistics to ammunition or, if necessary, the deployment of military units, depending on the threat’s scale. The signatories will consult to decide the type and amount of support requested. No country will be considered a threat unless a member state is attacked. Fidan said the new alliance is not directed against Iran or any other nation, but is a general pledge to support the security of the three signatories.