Turkey has said the first secretary-general of the proposed Makkah Defence Alliance will be appointed from Pakistan, while the alliance’s permanent secretariat will be based in Riyadh, the Saudi capital. The information was reported by Indian media outlet The Print.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan made the announcement on Monday after the first Strategic Political and Defence Committee meeting of the three-country alliance in Istanbul.
The meeting was the first formal gathering of the alliance since Pakistan, Turkey and Saudi Arabia signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement on 7 August.
Fidan said the three member states had agreed to begin establishing the alliance’s institutional structure, including a permanent secretariat in Riyadh.
“A secretariat has been established in Riyadh, and the first secretary-general will be appointed from among our Pakistani brothers,” Fidan said in Turkish at a post-meeting press conference.
“From today, we have begun the process of establishing the alliance’s institutional structure,” he said.
Fidan said the meeting decided how and when the alliance would be institutionalised, with representatives of all three countries sharing their views.
He said the alliance was being built on international principles aimed at ensuring a secure, stable and prosperous future for the region, including respect for the sovereignty of other states, protection of territorial integrity and non-interference in internal affairs.
Fidan said the alliance would be open to other countries in the future, although prospective members would need to meet conditions, rules and standards that have yet to be determined.
The Turkish foreign minister said the alliance would not be directed against any specific country. He said its stated principles included respect for national sovereignty, protection of territorial integrity and non-interference in the internal affairs of other states.
“We will cooperate closely with friendly countries and continue to coordinate our efforts,” Fidan said.
Fidan indicated that the alliance could expand in the future but said its institutional mechanisms must be effectively established before new members are admitted.
“If an allied country wishes to join, the alliance should be functioning properly by then,” he said.
Pakistan’s delegation at the Istanbul meeting was led by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and Field Marshal Asim Munir, Pakistan’s army chief and chief of defence forces, also attended.
Turkey was represented by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Defence Minister Yaşar Güler and Chief of the General Staff General Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu.
Saudi Arabia’s delegation included Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman and Chief of Staff General Fayyadh bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili.
Fidan said the agreement would not cancel or override the three countries’ existing international obligations and commitments.
The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, signed on 7 August, includes a mutual defence clause under which an armed attack against any one member state would be considered an attack against all three countries.
Fidan said a lack of trust among regional countries and the absence of effective security arrangements had contributed to regional instability. He said the Makkah Defence Alliance was intended to help address those shortcomings. He said the alliance was presenting itself not as a military bloc targeting a particular adversary, but as a framework for regional security.