President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said the Makkah Defense Agreement signed by Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan was a strategic step for regional security and stability. Erdoğan said the agreement was not directed against any country and was open to all brotherly countries seeking peace, prosperity and stability.
Joint deterrence and defense cooperation
Erdoğan said the agreement had taken shape in response to new conditions created by developments in the region and a shared sense of responsibility. He said regional countries needed to assume greater responsibility for resolving their own problems, adding that lasting peace required not only an end to conflicts but also mutual trust, political will and a shared vision for the future.
Erdoğan said Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan carried a historic responsibility for regional stability and the prosperity of their peoples. He said the agreement was open to the participation of additional countries and would mark the beginning of a new era in regional cooperation and solidarity.
Erdoğan said the agreement should not be viewed as a daily consequence of tensions between the United States and Iran. He said it reaffirmed the right to self-defense set out in Article 51 of the United Nations Charter and stressed that joint deterrence lay at its core. Erdoğan reiterated that no country was being targeted.
Erdoğan said the agreement sought to advance security and defense cooperation, promote joint defense industry projects and strengthen capacity in the fight against terrorism. He said a threat to the security of one party would be regarded as a common security issue for the other parties, adding that the agreement should not be viewed solely as a military arrangement.
Call for diplomacy to protect energy and trade security
Erdoğan said Middle Eastern countries needed to assume greater responsibility for their security, stability and future. He said Türkiye advocated establishing an inclusive regional cooperation system based on sovereignty, territorial integrity, mutual trust and common interests.
Erdoğan stressed that regional security and economic stability could not be considered separately. He said the security of the Gulf was important for energy supplies, maritime transport, international trade and global economic stability. Erdoğan said the Makkah Defense Agreement would strengthen a shared understanding of security and solidarity.
Erdoğan said the Strait of Hormuz was a strategic energy and trade transit point of global as well as regional importance. He said the effects of tensions there were not limited to the countries of the region. Erdoğan expressed hope that the current tensions would end soon and that the strait would continue to serve international trade safely, stably and without interruption.
Erdoğan said the parties needed to act with restraint and keep diplomatic channels open to achieve this goal. He said lasting solutions to the issues surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, Ukraine and Palestine would come through diplomacy and negotiations, not conflict.
Defense and energy ties with Saudi Arabia
Erdoğan described relations between Türkiye and Saudi Arabia as strategic, saying ties between the two countries had developed on the basis of a shared history, fraternal relations and mutual interests. He said cooperation was advancing in the areas of the economy, trade, investment, the defense industry, energy and tourism.
Erdoğan said consultations and close cooperation between Ankara and Riyadh had become more important in the face of regional problems. He said the Makkah Defense Agreement would develop bilateral relations, particularly defense cooperation, and added that new steps would be taken in the coming period.
Emphasis on sovereignty and ceasefire in Lebanon
Erdoğan said Lebanon's security, stability, sovereignty, political unity and territorial integrity were of great importance to the entire region. He said Türkiye opposed the country being turned into an arena for conflicts involving foreign powers through external intervention or military methods. Erdoğan said the Lebanese people had the right to decide the future of their country through their free will and welcomed talks aimed at securing a ceasefire in the country.
Erdoğan said Türkiye's willingness to provide technical support and cooperate had been conveyed to Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam.
Security and reconstruction on the agenda in Syria
Erdoğan described the process of change in Syria as a historic turning point in terms of the Syrian people's determination to shape their own future. He said Türkiye supported Syria's territorial integrity, political unity and sovereignty and would not allow the formation of structures in northern Syria or elsewhere that could threaten Türkiye's security.
Erdoğan said progress had been made in Syria since December 2024 toward improving security conditions, laying the foundations for economic development and achieving social reconciliation.
Erdoğan said Syria had demonstrated its capacity to focus on lasting security and stability while avoiding new conflicts as it developed relations with the regional and international community. He said Türkiye would continue to assume responsibility for Syria's stability, reconstruction and regional peace.
