A meeting took place on Thursday in Riyadh among the foreign ministers of Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Pakistan on the sidelines of an Islamic summit. During this meeting, the ministers discussed how to combine their efforts for the first time to enhance regional security. Turkey, which has been pursuing this initiative since last year, aims to sign a security agreement with both Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. Earlier this year, a Pakistani minister stated that this agreement had been under discussion for nearly a year.
Turkish sources familiar with the matter indicate that Ankara is also keen on involving Egypt in this initiative. The expected agreement will not mimic the guarantees and commitments of NATO, but it will serve as a security platform to enhance cooperation in defense manufacturing and defense issues in general.
In statements made on Saturday, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan remarked that "influential countries in the region are exploring ways to pool their strengths to address the issues." This collaboration comes at a time when the Middle East faces significant security and political challenges, making it essential to enhance dialogue and cooperation among the affected countries.