Turkey is hailing an 'Islamic Nato' it can neither afford nor deliver

Turkey is hailing an 'Islamic Nato' it can neither afford nor deliver Submitted by Osman Sert on Tue, 10/13/2026 - 07:16 The Mecca pact with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan answers a real security need, but economic hardship and political repression threaten Ankara's ability to fulfil its commitments Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan stand together after a meeting of the Mecca defence pact’s committee in Riyadh on 5 October 2026 (Turkish Foreign Ministry/Reuters) Off To characterise the defence agreement signed in Mecca on 7 August between Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia as an initiative devised in response to a single threat that emerged overnight is both incorrect and incomplete. It represents a long-standing need for alignment, brought into sharp relief three years ago by Hamas's attacks on Israel and the genocide that Israel has carried out since with US support. Given Israel's boundless destructive role in the breakdown of global and regional systems, coupled with Iran's disruptive initiatives, which are in fact not particularly new, there was really no other viable path for these three countries.

In an atmosphere where the global security architecture and the very perception of security are unravelling, many regions are seeking security structures of their own. As the European Union develops a defence approach relatively independent of the US and Nato, it is only natural for Turkey to pursue similar endeavours with countries it believes share a common outlook. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Consequently, there is no expectation that this pact will replace either Nato or the three countries' other defence commitments.

It is, however, defining a mission for itself in the space left vacant by other alliances. The timing, content and practical implications of the agreement are, of course, open to scrutiny. In scrutinising them, one must not forget that none of the three countries possesses the capacity to balance the evolving security risks on its own.

In fact, no country, including the US, has such a capacity. One factor making the Mecca pact inevitable is the lowered threshold for conflict between states. Armed conflict between states has never been closer The effort to establish an order represented by the Abraham Acco…