Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan pushed back hard against criticism that the Mecca Alliance between Turkiye, Saudi A...

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan pushed back hard against criticism that the Mecca Alliance between Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan had amounted to nothing, saying the attacks from Greece, India, Israel and Iran were proof the alliance was already making an impact. Speaking on Turkish broadcaster NTV, Fidan was asked about public skepticism from those four countries that the pact had remained only on paper since its signing in Mecca on August 7, 2026. He dismissed the criticism bluntly. "We laugh these off; they have no basis," he said, describing some of the commentary as a coordinated press campaign to discredit the alliance before it fully takes shape. He went further, offering a confident prediction. "You will see, the Mecca Alliance will be a very game-changing platform," Fidan said, comparing the structure to NATO and noting that Turkiye has been a member of NATO since 1952. The alliance carries a collective defense clause modeled on NATO's Article 5, meaning an attack on any one of the three members is treated as an attack on all. Fidan confirmed that work on establishing a permanent secretariat in Saudi Arabia and an affiliated military headquarters is "almost complete," with the final step being the assignment of personnel to make both structures operational. The pact also provides for a joint committee, regular consultations between the three governments, defense industry collaboration, joint training and interoperability programs. Fidan said the alliance is explicitly open to other countries in the region joining once the institutional framework is in place. India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar had questioned the deal's usefulness publicly in August, shortly after the agreement was signed. Greece has also been among the countries skeptical of the alliance's substance. Fidan's comments on NTV were a direct response to those assessments, framing them as a sign that the alliance is being taken seriously rather than evidence of any weakness. #MeccaAlliance #Turkey #EasternMediterranean