Syria evaluates joining Mecca defence alliance with regional partners

Syria is considering entering into a mutual defence agreement alongside Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, and Pakistan. Al Jazeera reported that Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani confirmed discussions are taking place to evaluate entry into the pact. He made the statement at the Manama Dialogue conference in Bahrain on Saturday. [1]

The New Region, Hurriyet Daily News, and Turkiye Today also reported that Damascus is weighing membership in the Mecca pact. Under the terms of the agreement, an attack on any single member country is treated as an attack on all three participating states. [1][2][3][5]

The alliance was signed into force in Mecca on August 7, 2026, by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey. The agreement expanded upon an earlier mutual defence deal established between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia in September 2025. Official announcements regarding the pact came during the 2026 Iran war. [1][11]

As FTMQ News reported earlier, Pakistan and Turkiye previously condemned Israeli incursions into southern Syria and demanded a withdrawal. Israeli forces had occupied the demilitarized buffer zone in southwestern Syria following the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024. [12][15]