Afghanistan, Aug. 16 -- 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 c...