❗️Turkiye says Mecca defense pact could expand to include Iran

A defense pact between Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan could eventually expand into a broader agreement "for the Muslim world" that includes Iran, Turkish Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus said on Friday. He added that the agreement is expected to be submitted to parliament for ratification after lawmakers return from recess next month.

"For international agreements to come into effect, parliamentary approval is needed. The meetings held as part of the agreement at the moment are preparatory meetings," Kurtulmus told reporters in Ankara. "I expect this issue to come on the parliament's agenda in the coming period," he said, referring to parliament’s return from recess in October.

Asked whether the agreement was directed against Iran, Kurtulmus reiterated Turkiye’s position that it was not aimed at any particular country. He said the pact was primarily intended to protect regional states amid ongoing conflicts and Israel’s "hostile policies", while noting that Iran could potentially join the agreement.

"We never see the Mecca Agreement as a pact against Iran, it must not be that way. In fact, we hope the Mecca Agreement can turn into a broader agreement for the Muslim world. Iran can join this agreement too, we hope it will become much stronger with the participation of other regional countries," he said.