Military chiefs from Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan meet in Riyadh
Military chiefs from Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan met in Riyadh after their foreign ministers called for urgent talks. The agenda included intelligence sharing, military coordination and the joint use of defence capabilities under the Makkah pact. The meeting turns the previously announced plan into talks, although the public accounts name no deployment or start date.
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The planned chiefs’ meeting takes place in Riyadh
The military chiefs of Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan met in Riyadh on Friday under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement. Hürriyet Daily News named Turkish Chief of General Staff Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu, Saudi counterpart Fayyadh bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili and Pakistani commander Asim Munir as participants. Their foreign ministers had met in New York the day before and called for urgent chiefs’ talks. The completed meeting is the new step beyond that earlier announcement.[1], [2], [3]
Intelligence sharing enters the agenda
The chiefs discussed military intelligence sharing, coordination among their forces and ways to use defence capabilities together, according to the joint statement carried by Radio Pakistan. Arab News attributed the agenda to the Saudi Defence Ministry, and Hürriyet Daily News reported the same cooperation topics. The chiefs also reviewed threats facing Saudi Arabia and condemned attacks aimed at Mecca and civilian and economic infrastructure. These are the areas of cooperation publicly identified after the talks.[3], [2], [1]
The pact still has no deployment timetable
The three governments reaffirmed a collective defence commitment to Saudi Arabia’s security, sovereignty and territorial integrity. The pact was signed in August and treats an armed attack on one member as an attack on all. Public accounts of the Riyadh meeting identify no unit being deployed, weapons system, start date or new rules of engagement. Saudi Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman said he separately met Munir and welcomed the outcome of the chiefs’ discussion.[2], [3]
