Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said attacks directed at Saudi Arabia from different directions constitute a security problem that extends beyond the country's borders. In his assessment on September 16, 2026, Fidan described Saudi Arabia being targeted from the south and north and struck by attackers based in Iraq as unacceptable.
According to Fidan, these attacks affect not only Saudi Arabia's security but also threaten regional stability and critical infrastructure. The emphasis in the statement showed that the pressure facing Riyadh was being addressed as a broader regional security issue linked to the activities of armed groups in neighboring countries.
Threats from the south were assessed within the framework of the Yemen issue. Referring to the long-running Yemen conflict, Fidan drew attention to the impact of attacks targeting Saudi Arabia from the south and north on the region's security balances.
Threats from the north were linked to attacks directed at Saudi Arabia through groups based in Iraq. This highlighted the view that Saudi Arabia faces not only attacks against its own territory but also security pressure linked to armed groups operating in neighboring countries.
The Mecca Joint Defense Agreement process
Fidan said Türkiye was acting in line with the spirit of the structure publicly known as the Mecca Alliance. The official name used by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement. The structure aims to institutionalize political and defense cooperation between Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.
One of the process's key steps was taken in Mecca on August 7, 2026. Regarding the process that came onto the agenda with the participation of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Hakan Fidan said in his assessment on August 8 that the structure was publicly known as the Mecca Alliance. Fidan stated that a joint security structure among the three countries was being targeted.
The Strategic Political and Defense Committee established under the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement held its first meeting in Istanbul on August 31, 2026. The meeting, held after the agreement was signed, was the first official step toward shaping the institutional structure.
The scope of the structure is not considered limited to military cooperation. Regional security, political consultation and joint threat assessment are also included in this framework. Fidan's latest statement showed that cooperation between Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan had begun to be directly linked to Yemen, Iraq and regional stability.
The assessment in the statement indicated that threats coming at Saudi Arabia from different directions were being addressed as a regional issue not only in terms of national security but also with regard to protecting energy and other critical infrastructure.
