Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Saturday that he expects Egypt to join "in the next phase" the joint defense agreement concluded Friday between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey.
اضافة اعلان
"Egypt is already a natural partner for us in all issues. I believe that in the coming period, Egypt will be among us as an alliance," Fidan added during an interview with the state-run Anadolu Agency.
He continued, "There are some technical matters, and once they are completed, there is no reason why Egypt should not be part of this alliance as well."
He affirmed, "According to our President's vision, it should not remain limited to three countries; we should expand and, if necessary, include everyone under this umbrella."
Fidan explained during the interview that other countries have expressed their desire to join the agreement, but noted that the founding nations need to discuss the expansion mechanism, adding that some interested countries requested to remain anonymous.
"It is crucial that we play a larger role in managing the affairs of our region, because external dominant powers do not contribute to solving the region's problems, but rather exacerbate them," Fidan said, without naming any specific country.
Amid the ongoing war in the Middle East, this alliance brings together three U.S.-allied powers under a NATO-style mutual defense clause, which stipulates that an attack on any member state is considered an attack on all.
The minister noted that the agreement signed Friday in Mecca had been in preparation for over two years, emphasizing that "any country that does not attack us will not be a target for us," as quoted by the agency.
He pointed out that the objective of the agreement between the three strategic allies of Washington "is not to send a message abroad," as much as it is to "bring lasting stability to this region (the Middle East), which has been synonymous with instability over the past 100 years since the withdrawal of the Ottoman Empire," according to the agency.
He stressed that the agreement does not conflict with Turkey's commitments to NATO.
"We are not the first to act in this manner," Fidan said, noting that "the United States has concluded similar agreements with many non-NATO countries, including Israel."
Following years of military cooperation with Pakistan—with which it signed a mutual defense agreement in September 2025—Riyadh has drawn closer to Turkey during the Iran war, following years of strained relations.
AFP
