President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Friday that a joint defense pact between Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan is not directed against Iran, Israel or any other country, describing the agreement as part of a shared effort to promote regional security and stability.
In an interview with U.S. magazine Newsweek, Erdoğan addressed Türkiye’s foreign policy priorities amid conflicts across the Middle East and the continuing Russia-Ukraine war.
“It would not be correct to regard the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement as an alliance established against Iran, Israel or any third country,” Erdoğan stressed. “This agreement is an expression of the shared responsibility we have undertaken to build a safer, more peaceful and prosperous future.”
The Mecca agreement, signed on Aug. 7 by Erdoğan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif in Mecca, establishes a collective defense framework among the three countries. Under the pact, an armed attack against any one of the three countries is considered an attack against all of them. The agreement also calls for broader defense cooperation and collective deterrence.
The Turkish president underlined that Türkiye’s broader diplomatic priority was to prevent existing conflicts from spreading and to keep channels for negotiations open.
“Conflicts directly affect the security, economy and stability of our region. At times like these, it is the shared responsibility of the international community to expand the space for diplomacy rather than narrow it,” said Erdoğan.
Turning to Syria, Erdoğan said all armed groups in the country should be integrated into the central state structure, arguing that such a process was necessary to reinforce Syria’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and social unity.
He stated that Ankara supported a process based on equal citizenship that would allow all Syrians, including Kurds, to live under what he described as safer, freer and more prosperous conditions.
The U.S.-backed YPG terrorist group announced on Aug. 25 that its so-called autonomous administration and all its military and civilian structures have been dissolved following an agreement with Damascus on military integration.
The president also addressed the PKK terrorist group’s decision to dissolve and disarm, describing it as an important step but saying implementation on the ground would be critical.
A landmark law establishing the legal framework for Türkiye's ongoing terror-free initiative entered into force last month after being published in the Official Gazette, marking a new phase in Ankara's efforts to end decades of PKK terrorism and strengthen social cohesion.
The law does not constitute a general amnesty and does not eliminate existing convictions, change the legal classification of crimes or broadly remove criminal liability, according to the justification accompanying the legislation.
Erdoğan said all elements of the group must disarm and its organizational structure must be dismantled, with the process verified by Turkish state institutions.
He also warned that Ankara was closely monitoring attempts by the PKK and its Iranian affiliate PJAK to take advantage of developments in Iran.
He said Iran’s domestic issues should be resolved by the Iranian people without foreign intervention, warning that the exploitation of ethnic and sectarian divisions could fuel prolonged regional instability.
On the Russia-Ukraine war, Erdoğan remarked that Türkiye remained concerned about the possibility of the conflict spreading to other countries.
He called for restraint over allegations of sabotage and hybrid activities in Europe, saying such claims should be assessed based on solid evidence and that steps that could further escalate tensions should be avoided.
Erdoğan said Türkiye’s approach to the war had remained unchanged for more than four years and pointed to previous Istanbul talks, the Black Sea grain initiative and prisoner exchanges as examples of Ankara’s ability to maintain contact with both Moscow and Kyiv.
“Türkiye is a strong NATO ally,” Erdoğan underlined, adding that Ankara could simultaneously maintain direct contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Ukrainian leadership.
“There is no contradiction in this,” he said. “To mediate, you need to be able to talk to both sides of the conflict.”
Erdoğan said Black Sea security remained a priority for Ankara, particularly protecting civilian shipping, trade routes and energy infrastructure.
He called for a mechanism to provide lasting security for commercial shipping in the Black Sea and said Türkiye was continuing contacts with both sides.
“As the war continues, the humanitarian, economic and political costs are growing,” the president noted.
Türkiye is prepared to help bring the sides back to the negotiating table if the necessary political will emerges, he added.
