Why is Syria considering joining the Saudi-Turkey-Pakistan defence pact? - Middle East Eye

Syria is considering joining the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, a mutual defence pact between Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said on Saturday.

"Discussions are currently under way to evaluate Syria's entry into the Mecca alliance," al-Shaibani said during a session on regional security at the Manama Dialogue conference in Bahrain.

He described Syria as an "integral" part of regional security and said Damascus would support any framework aimed at protecting stability across the region.

The Middle East was "in greater need than ever" of developing joint deterrence and defence systems, he added. 

The comments mark a potential expansion of the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, signed by Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan in Mecca on 7 August, to strengthen cooperation across their defence sectors.

As per the agreement, each signatory is committed to treating an attack on one member as an attack on all three, establishing a mutual defence arrangement similar in principle to Nato's collective security framework, which holds 32 member states.

During his speech in Bahrain, al-Shaibani reaffirmed Syria's support for Yemen's internationally recognised government in its efforts to restore sovereignty and stability across the country.

The foreign minister also called on regional actors to respect states' unity and sovereignty, while warning against actions that undermine regional stability.

Syria's foreign minister says Damascus is considering joining the Mecca alliance that binds Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan in a Nato-style defence pact. https://t.co/8vP9tQnLdP

The talks over Syria's joining the Mecca pact are in the early stages and Damascus is unlikely to become the pact’s fourth member in the near term, political analyst and senior advisor at Syria Report, Samy Akil, told Middle East Eye. 

“We’re still in the speculation phase, so nothing has been decided yet. But I do think it’s a bit of sabre-rattling by Syrian authorities,” Akil said.

“I don’t think at the current moment that Syria will necessarily be the fourth addition to the security pact. It will take some time, but the intent is there. It’s being tested. It will all come down, at the end of the day, to the fine print.”

The discussions come as Saudi Arabia faces an escalation in attacks by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi movement, which has targeted airports, military installations and energy infrastructure across the kingdom.

On Friday, the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen said it had intercepted Houthi drones over the Mecca and Medina regions. The group later denied carrying out the attacks.

Akil said the timing of Shaibani’s remarks reflected Syria’s reading of the regional situation. 

“I think it is more related to the impending regional conflict that will likely witness a new round of escalation in the coming days. This is strategic thinking here, to do a bit of a balancing act,” he said.

Riyadh has been rallying international support, and the attacks have brought the agreement's military provisions into focus.

Both Pakistan and Turkey have pledged military support to the kingdom but have not announced any operations against the Houthis.

According to Al Jazeera, Turkish officials have ruled out sending troops to fight in Yemen, and the Turkish parliament’s foreign affairs committee has approved a bill to ratify the pact.

Syria has increasingly expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia over the Houthi attacks, condemning strikes on airports and civilian infrastructure and supporting the kingdom's efforts to protect its security.

Saudi Arabia has emerged as one of the key regional partners of Syria's new government since the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.

President Ahmed al-Sharaa visited Riyadh on 6 October, where he met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Their discussions focused on strengthening bilateral relations, reconstruction and investment, as well as regional developments.

After the visit, Damascus has denied all reports that Riyadh had asked it to deploy ground troops to Saudi Arabia to fight against the Houthis.

Ahmad Zaidan, a media adviser to al-Sharaa, said on X that the reports were “a lie and have no basis in truth”. The Syrian foreign ministry’s media department also said the country's regional policy was focused on stability, peace and co-operation, not opening new fronts.

Syrian forces could be drawn into the conflict but argued that it would not be a wise decision, Akil said, adding that “fighting in Yemen differed from the type of warfare Syrian forces were used to.”

“Personally, I do think that Syria’s overall contribution at the end of the day will be something similar to what they contributed during Operation Desert Storm, meaning a small contingent of forces that will lay back and provide logistical support to Saudi forces, rather than be shock troops and troops on the ground,” he said.

Joining the Mecca agreement would nevertheless be a further step toward closer security cooperation between Damascus and Riyadh.

The foreign minister also criticised Israel's military operations in Syria, saying “our territory has been subjected to more than 1,000 Israeli attacks in less than two years, which have killed dozens.”

"How can calls for border control and placing weapons exclusively under state control be justified while Syrian sovereignty is violated and targeted on a daily basis?" he asked.

Akil said Damascus's interest in the agreement could also be linked to its efforts to strengthen its position in future negotiations with Israel.

With Israeli forces continuing to occupy positions in southern Syria, he argued, Syrian authorities may see closer security ties with regional powers as a way to gain leverage.

He said Damascus was seeking to build a "bargaining chip" for future negotiations with Israel, particularly as an Israeli withdrawal from the south was unlikely in the short to medium term.

He added that membership would give Syria the right to activate the pact’s provisions should it come under attack.

In his Friday speech, al-Shaibani also renewed Syria’s demand for Israeli forces to pull back to their pre-8 December 2024 positions and for the 1974 disengagement agreement to be enforced.

For Damascus, closer security cooperation with Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan could provide a framework for strengthening its regional partnerships.

But whether that would translate into concrete military commitments, and what role Syria could play in the agreement, remains unclear.