Turkish sources quoted by local media outlets confirmed on Friday that a defense pact was signed with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan as President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan departed for Saudi Arabia in the morning in a visit announced only hours ago.

The agreement between the three Muslim states brings together oil-rich Saudi Arabia and nuclear power Pakistan as well as Türkiye, which has NATO’s second-largest army and a rapidly growing defense industry. It would increase cooperation and deterrence at a time of increased regional uncertainty and threats from the war in Iran.

“The agreement is intended to strengthen collective deterrence against any act of aggression, and stipulates that any armed attack against any one of the three states shall be regarded as an attack against them all,” the Pakistani Foreign Ministry and Turkish Presidency’s Communications Directorate said in identical statements.

“It further provides for the enhancement of all aspects of defense cooperation among the three States,” the statements said, adding that the agreement was called the “Mecca Joint Defense Agreement.”

Earlier, Turkish media reports said it is likely to allow joint military exercises and training, technology transfers and the sharing of intelligence.

Saudi Arabia, whose critical infrastructure and oil facilities have come under attack as part of the war in Iran, has been looking to diversify its defense partnerships. In September, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a mutual defense pact that also defines any attack on either nation as an attack on both. The agreement also comes amid rising tensions between Türkiye and Israel over Gaza and other regional conflicts, including the war in Iran and Lebanon.

A Turkish government official described the agreement as “purely defensive in nature,” saying the sides have pledged mutual support only for defense. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the issue publicly, insisted that the deal is “not against any specific actor” and was open for other regional countries to join. The agreement does not abrogate or replace any bilateral or multilateral agreements between these states or with other states and organizations, the official added.

In Islamabad, defense analyst Abdullah Khan described the agreement as a natural evolution and formalization of decades of strategic ties among Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Türkiye, saying a changing regional security environment and the evolving nature of warfare had increased the need for closer cooperation. Khan said the pact was “purely defensive” and not directed against any country, with collective deterrence intended to raise the cost of aggression and prevent conflict.

The analyst said three countries bring complementary strengths to the arrangement: Pakistan’s military experience and expertise in managing escalation, Saudi Arabia’s economic strength and regional influence, and Türkiye’s advanced defense technology and industrial capabilities. Sharif arrived on Thursday for a three-day visit accompanied by a high-level delegation that includes Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir. Erdoğan traveled to Saudi Arabia on Friday. In addition to discussing ways to help defuse tensions between the United States and Iran, the three leaders were expected to explore expanding trade, economic ties and broader security cooperation, officials said. Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said that while Sharif’s visit took place against the backdrop of heightened tensions in the Gulf, it extends beyond the immediate crisis and is aimed at strengthening bilateral relations and boosting coordination on regional and international issues. Pakistani officials said the pact meant that any attack against one of the parties to the agreement was an attack on all, which would prompt joint defensive action.

The three countries have been the subject of months of speculation about a possible strategic alliance.

Pakistan has sought to mediate efforts to end the U.S.-Iran war, while Türkiye has played a diplomatic role in negotiations aimed at ending the war in Gaza. Saudi Arabia and Pakistan had already announced a joint defense pact in 2025, a move that drew attention because Pakistan is the Muslim world’s only nuclear-equipped state.

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The opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has referred Ilkay Çiçek, the mayor of the western town of Menderes in the province of Izmir, to its disciplinary board, seeking his expulsion from the party. The party’s secretary-general, Rıfat Turuntay Nalbantoğlu, said in a social media post that Çiçek was facing disciplinary action because “his conduct and attitude did not comply with the party’s principles.” Çiçek was detained on Tuesday as part of an investigation into alleged corruption at the municipality, but it was his WhatsApp correspondence with a girlfriend that made him even more notorious.

The WhatsApp correspondence shows Çiçek telling his girlfriend that he was “walking cash” after she asked why he kept sending her photos of banknotes. “I got paid for whatever I do,” he says in one message. Çiçek then goes on to say that he was receiving “bribes left and right” and would not be caught because it was all done through “those two idiots,” he told his girlfriend, referring to two alleged associates who controlled the flow of bribes to the municipality.

Other messages between Çiçek and his girlfriend include one in which he writes that he is “too h…” and would “f… even my driver and staff.” Çiçek initially claimed the messages were AI-generated when portions of the correspondence first surfaced a few months ago. He later changed his account and instead complained about the “leak” of his “private conversations.”

Along with corruption allegations, the CHP was mired in scandals involving the same mayors involved in illicit affairs, like Çiçek, a married man. Özkan Yalım, the CHP’s mayor in the western province of Uşak, was caught in a hotel room with a mistress in Ankara when police officers stormed the location to nab the mayor in an operation against widespread corruption at the municipality a few months ago. Yalım was also expelled from the CHP after the anti-corruption operation and his other extramarital affairs, including recruiting and putting his mistresses on the payroll at the municipality, were exposed.

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Somalia on Friday hailed a new joint defense agreement signed by Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, calling the pact a landmark move to bolster collective security and deepen defense cooperation.

In a statement, the defense ministry said the agreement establishes a strategic partnership capable of addressing shared security challenges and advancing long-term defense cooperation among the three countries.

The ministry expressed confidence that the pact would make a significant contribution to regional peace and stability while reinforcing the principles of cooperation, solidarity and shared responsibility.

It added that the agreement would serve the interests of the region’s peoples and support international peace and security.

The Mecca Joint Defense Agreement was signed Friday following a summit in the Muslim holy city of Mecca attended by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

The agreement between the three Muslim states brings together oil-rich Saudi Arabia and nuclear power Pakistan as well as Türkiye, which has NATO’s second-largest army and a rapidly growing defense industry. It would increase cooperation and deterrence at a time of increased regional uncertainty and threats from the war in Iran.

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Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday hailed the new joint defense agreement with Türkiye and Saudi Arabia as a historic step toward strengthening regional peace and security.

“Honoured to sign the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement alongside my dear brothers, HRH Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and H.E. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan,” Sharif said in a post on X.

He described Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan as “three brotherly nations, united by faith, friendship and a shared resolve for peace and security.”

Sharif expressed hope that the agreement “will remain a shield of peace for generations to come” and contribute to the prosperity of the three countries as well as the wider Muslim world.

He also praised Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, for his “untiring efforts and utmost dedication,” which he said contributed significantly to the conclusion of the defense agreement.

On Friday, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed a joint defense agreement at a trilateral summit in Mecca, pledging to strengthen collective security, deepen defense cooperation and promote peace and stability in the region and beyond.

The Mecca Joint Defense Agreement was signed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Shehbaz Sharif during the summit held at Al-Safa Palace.

According to information obtained from Turkish officials, the agreement is a defense-oriented cooperation arrangement that targets no country and is designed to strengthen commitments to regional and global peace, stability and prosperity through burden-sharing and a common security approach.

The agreement aims to strengthen collective deterrence against any act of aggression and stipulates that an armed attack against any one of the three countries shall be regarded as an attack against them all, the officials added.

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The Interior Ministry announced on Friday that 104 suspects linked to the terrorist group Daesh had been detained in operations across 30 provinces.

The ministry said in a social media post that the operations were carried out by gendarmerie forces. The suspects are accused of financing the terrorist group through so-called charities they had established and of engaging in online Daesh propaganda.

“We continue our operations against the activities and financial networks of the Daesh terrorist group with determination to ensure our country’s peace and security,” the ministry said in a statement, congratulating the gendarmerie officers and prosecutors involved in the operations.

Türkiye has conducted sustained counterterrorism operations against Daesh for years, targeting the group’s members, facilitators and financial networks both domestically and across its borders. Turkish security forces regularly carry out nationwide raids to prevent attacks and dismantle the organization’s presence in the country.

Daesh remains a threat to Türkiye, which has lost dozens of citizens in attacks carried out by the group, particularly during the period when it was active in neighboring Iraq and Syria. The country has also sought to bring Turkish nationals affiliated with the terrorist group back from abroad.

In June, Türkiye’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT) captured Daesh operative Ahmet Kazancı, who was linked to Özgür Altun, another Turkish national captured by MIT in cooperation with Pakistan’s intelligence services in 2025.

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The Turkish Parliament’s Justice Committee was set to begin discussions on the draft of the Law on Strengthening National Solidarity and Social Integration, landmark legislation aimed at accelerating the disarmament of the PKK terrorist group.

The discussions on Friday were expected to conclude within hours, with Parliament’s General Assembly set to debate and likely approve the bill on Sunday. The law will pave the way for the return of PKK members from abroad to surrender to the authorities, while the execution of their sentences is expected to be deferred if they are not found to have been involved in acts of terrorism.

PKK members seeking deferred sentences will be allowed to apply after Turkish authorities officially announce that the terrorist group has fully laid down its arms. Those who do not apply will remain subject to judicial proceedings and the execution of their sentences.

PKK members in Iraq will apply through Turkish diplomatic missions in that country, according to a report by the Sabah newspaper. Most PKK members are currently based in the Qandil Mountains in northern Iraq. In Syria, another stronghold of the terrorist group, PKK members will also be able to surrender through Turkish diplomatic missions. Those residing in Europe will similarly be processed through Turkish embassies and consulates across the continent.

The Ministries of Foreign Affairs and National Defense, together with the National Intelligence Organization (MIT), will coordinate the process. Returnees will first be required to appear before a court and, if the court so rules, they will be released with the execution of their sentences deferred.

A monitoring board will establish a special monitoring system for PKK members released under deferred sentences or returning from abroad. The Interior Ministry and MIT will monitor these individuals. If any links to criminal organizations or signs of renewed terrorist activity are detected, authorities will intervene immediately.

The law will not apply to approximately 250 founding members of the terrorist organization, including Fehman Hüseyin, Murat Karayılan, Cemil Bayık, Duran Kalkan and Bese Hozat. It is reported that, together with those convicted of murder, the total number of individuals excluded from the law is close to 1,000.

MIT has compiled a complete inventory of all weapons and equipment in the terrorist organization’s possession. Authorities will require the surrender not only of pistols and rifles, but also of drones, satellite communication systems and paramotors used by the PKK.

Commenting on the legislation and the anticipated returns, Justice Minister Akın Gürlek assured the public on Friday that the law would not be implemented until all conditions required for the PKK’s dissolution had been met. Speaking to journalists in the eastern province of Iğdır, Gürlek underlined that the law would take effect only after the National Security Council (MGK), chaired by the president, officially declared that the PKK had been completely dismantled.

“Individuals who participated in armed killings, whether they are abroad or currently in prison, will under no circumstances be eligible to benefit from the regulation,” Gürlek stressed.

“People want terrorism to end once and for all. According to recent surveys, 91% of our citizens say they support the initiative,” he added.

The anticipated returns are likely to be welcomed most by the Diyarbakır Mothers. The group, composed primarily of women, has staged a sit-in in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır for years, urging the PKK to release their sons and daughters. They say their children were minors or teenagers when they were lured into joining the terrorist group.

Necibe Çiftçi, one of about 80 parents participating in the sit-in, told the Sabah newspaper on Thursday that the families had endured years of hardship and that some had already been reunited with their children. Çiftçi is awaiting the return of her son, Roşat, who was 16 when he was lured into joining the PKK in 2015. Two years later, Roşat’s brother Sami was killed by the terrorist group after refusing to join it.

Çiftçi, from the southeastern town of Şemdinli, said the state had “proved its greatness” by helping families reunite with their children. “May Allah bless it. I am now waiting for the phone call from my son telling me that he is coming home,” she told Sabah.

Mevlüde Üçdağ, who is also waiting to be reunited with her son Ramazan, echoed the sentiment. She said the law would bring an end to the families’ long ordeal and that everyone was “waiting for the doorbell to ring” to welcome their children home.

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