The landmark three-nation Mecca Defense Alliance is still in its growth stage, but Türkiye’s top diplomat is confident of its expansion and further joint work. Speaking to broadcaster NTV late Saturday, Fidan said the alliance of Türkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia had reached an advanced stage, with efforts underway to establish its headquarters and assign personnel, describing the initiative as a "very game-changing platform.” Fidan also implied that Türkiye stood ready to provide technical assistance to Saudi Arabia amid an escalating conflict with the Houthis in Yemen.

Fidan stated that there is "a very strong will” behind the alliance and that Ankara is working to turn that political will into action. "The Mecca alliance is really at a good stage. There’s a very strong will that has been put forward. We’re working with all our strength to put this will into action,” Fidan said.

He said steps toward institutionalizing the alliance are underway, particularly work to establish a secretariat envisaged under the agreement and a military headquarters affiliated with it. He added that detailed preparations for both structures have "almost been completed” and that the three countries have reached a common understanding of how they will operate.

"There are steps currently being taken toward institutionalization. In particular, the work on establishing the secretariat mentioned in the agreement and bringing an affiliated military headquarters into operation is almost complete. We have reached a common understanding. From now on, the remaining stage is to send personnel and make the headquarters operational. I am pleased with the process on this issue,” Fidan said.

He said that once institutionalization steps are completed, talks could be held with the other two founding countries on admitting new members.

"There is such a principle decision because our president said this from the beginning. If this does not grow, then it would not be an alliance area. We would have created a bloc. Our regional vision is for as many countries in the region as possible to come together and establish a common defense area.

"This defense area is not against outsiders; it is about solving problems within the region better through regional ownership and creating an environment of trust that has not existed before, in order to prevent new crises from emerging. The basic point of departure for all of this is the search for regional solutions to regional problems,” Fidan said.

He stressed that the alliance was not intended to create a new regional bloc against other countries but to establish a common defense framework based on regional ownership.

"It is an alliance open to the countries of the region,” he said.

Addressing recent attacks by Yemen’s Houthis on Saudi Arabia, Fidan said the issue has existed for roughly a decade, adding that a cease-fire was reached in 2022 before tensions resurfaced following the start of the Gaza conflict. He said Saudi Arabia’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and infrastructure had faced serious attacks.

"When we look at our agreement, countries have an allied responsibility toward one another. Our president is a leader who keeps his word. We have signed an agreement as states. We are in solidarity on this issue. In particular, we are assessing the situation together,” Fidan said.

He said Türkiye has condemned attacks targeting Saudi Arabia, particularly those directed at Mecca and the country’s oil infrastructure. Fidan also said Saudi Arabia should remain outside the ongoing dispute between Iran and the U.S., saying Riyadh is not seeking involvement in that confrontation.

"Saudi Arabia should be kept outside this equation because they themselves are not seeking to become involved. As members of the Mecca alliance, we are closely monitoring the situation. We have some consultations that are not reflected publicly. If there are military requirements, particularly in certain technical areas, we would have no difficulty meeting them,” he said.

On Saturday, Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defense issued two alerts in al-Kharj and Farasan amid reports of Houthi attacks. The alerts followed a broader wave Friday covering seven cities and governorates. Authorities said Thursday that one person was killed and two were injured by debris from a Houthi drone intercepted above Taif.

The Houthis later claimed to have "foiled” what they called "criminal attempts” allegedly carried out by Saudi Arabia in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, without providing details. Saudi authorities did not link the claims to the alerts.

The latest developments follow repeated Houthi warnings and attacks involving missiles and drones. On July 20, the group announced a "maritime blockade” of Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has led a coalition supporting Yemen’s internationally recognized government against the Houthis since March 2015. The group has controlled Sanaa and several Yemeni provinces since September 2014.

On Thursday, Pakistan’s military spokesperson said his country would "go to any extent” to defend its ally, Saudi Arabia. Houthi forces this week reported fresh Saudi airstrikes, as Riyadh accused the group of launching a "cowardly” attack targeting Islam’s holy city of Mecca, prompting a wave of outrage from around the Muslim world.

In an interview Thursday with Arab News, Pakistan’s military spokesperson Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said his country would back Saudi Arabia "both diplomatically and physically.”

"We will go to any extent for the security of (the two holy sanctuaries) and the kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” he said.

Criticism of the alliance

Asked about criticism from Israel, Iran, India and Greece that the alliance had remained only "on paper,” Fidan dismissed the claims. He said the criticism itself demonstrated the attention some countries were paying to the initiative and described some of the comments as attempts to discredit the alliance through media campaigns and disinformation.

"When we look at the countries you mentioned, Israel, India and Greece, we actually understand how much of an impact and how important a move the Mecca alliance is. These are reflections of discrediting operations through the press and disinformation methods. We laugh these off; they have no basis,” Fidan said.

Citing Türkiye’s decades of experience in NATO, he said an alliance should not be judged simply by how frequently its collective defense mechanisms are activated. He noted that Türkiye has been a NATO member since 1952 and said NATO’s collective defense mechanism under Article 5 had been activated only twice in its history.

Fidan said it was premature to describe the Mecca Alliance as ineffective when the agreement had been signed only recently, and institutional steps were already moving forward.

"No one called NATO a paper tiger or something made of paper because of that. An agreement signed only three months ago is already taking steps this quickly, yet it is being described in this way.

"This actually indirectly reflects the threat perception of those making these comments. We see them, we assess them, but they are not things to be taken seriously. You will see, the Mecca alliance will be a very game-changing platform,” he said.

Netanyahu and Israel

Fidan also addressed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent statements targeting Türkiye, saying Netanyahu is seeking to strengthen his political position at home, portray himself as indispensable and remain in power.

He said hostility toward Türkiye and efforts to portray Türkiye as a threat were also part of that approach.

"We do not underestimate this. We are closely following the statements and attitudes being put forward, particularly the military cooperation with countries in the region. Hopefully, Israel will adopt a foreign policy based on peace, respect and cooperation that serves both its own interests and those of the region. Otherwise, it will not only grow increasingly isolated, but will also pay the price itself together with the region,” Fidan said.

He said Türkiye was closely monitoring Israel’s policies and military cooperation with countries in the region.

Fidan also accused Netanyahu of seeking to create prolonged areas of instability in Syria, following Lebanon and Palestine, in order to strengthen his domestic political position and portray himself as indispensable.

"We clearly see that he is trying to make Syria, after Lebanon and Palestine, an area where he can establish his indispensability. We also clearly see the intention to create a problem there, turn that problem into an acute and permanent one, and then send his society a message along the lines of, ‘There is a serious problem here; if I am not here, this problem cannot be solved.’”

Fidan stressed that Türkiye would not be drawn into what he described as provocations.

"Türkiye is not a state that will fall for such provocations or cheap provocations. We know our position well, and we make our calculations carefully,” he said.

He added that Türkiye does not act alone in the region and maintains partnerships with regional countries.

"Israel is a threat not only to the region but to the world,” Fidan said.

He said international concern over Netanyahu’s policies was increasingly visible, including among countries traditionally considered close to Israel.

"The whole world is looking for solutions to deal with Netanyahu’s policies. As long as this continues, I think the necessary response will somehow be given. We are increasingly seeing these ideas and this position finding ground even among Israel’s traditional friends and among countries that feel indebted to Israel. This is also a very important development. We believe that, in the longer term, the process will ultimately favor the oppressed Palestinians,” he said.

Fidan also said the Muslim world was going through a difficult period and that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s leadership and the solidarity demonstrated toward the region could contribute to overcoming many problems.