Tel Aviv
The Mecca Pact signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey on August 7 could have implications extending beyond the Middle East, with its potential impact on Europe drawing increased attention.
Political researcher Vas Shenoy said European countries should pay greater attention to the agreement, particularly because of Turkey’s strategic role.
Turkey shares borders with NATO members Greece and Bulgaria and controls the strategically important Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits. It has also expanded its military presence in Syria and Libya and remains involved in long-running disputes with Greece and Cyprus over maritime boundaries, territorial waters and economic zones.
According to Shenoy, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has pursued an independent foreign policy for more than a decade. Turkey has remained a NATO member while simultaneously developing relations with countries outside the Western alliance. Ankara’s purchase of Russia’s S-400 air defence system, continued communication with Moscow and support for Ukraine have highlighted this approach.
Turkey has also negotiated migration agreements with the European Union while maintaining disputes with Greece and Cyprus. Its military interventions in Libya and Syria have further demonstrated Ankara’s willingness to pursue its interests without always waiting for European or US consensus.
The Mecca Pact could potentially develop beyond a conventional mutual-defence arrangement into a broader defence and industrial partnership, the report said. Such an evolution could have particular significance in the Eastern Mediterranean, where tensions between Greece and Turkey remain unresolved despite both being NATO members.
Disputes involving the Aegean, Cyprus, airspace, territorial waters and maritime economic zones continue to affect regional stability. Turkey’s “Blue Homeland” doctrine has also raised concerns in Greece and Cyprus over the existing maritime order, the report noted.
