Türkiye’s Chief of General Staff Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu will travel to Saudi Arabia on Friday to attend a meeting of military chiefs under the Mecca defense alliance, the Turkish Defense Ministry said.

"Chief of General Staff Gen. Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu will travel to Saudi Arabia today to attend the Mecca Defense Alliance Chiefs of General Staff Meeting,” the ministry said in a statement.

The meeting comes as Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan continue efforts to institutionalize cooperation under the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, signed by the three countries in August.

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan also discussed Thursday the process with his Saudi and Pakistani counterparts during a meeting held on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Fidan met Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan and Pakistani Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar as part of the Mecca Agreement for Joint Defense Foreign Ministers Meeting.

According to a statement published by Türkiye's Foreign Ministry, the ministers reviewed progress made toward establishing a general secretariat, committees and working groups under the agreement, as well as preparations for the commencement of their work.

The ministers condemned in the strongest terms the heinous attacks targeting the holy city of Mecca and civilian and economic facilities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

During the meeting, the ministers further discussed the current situation in the region, underscoring the importance of upholding the principles of international law, good neighborliness, mutual respect for the sovereignty of states and non-interference in their internal affairs, as well as ensuring the security and freedom of navigation. They reiterated their determination to work together toward achieving sustainable peace and stability in the region, support efforts towards de-escalation and encourage peaceful resolution to crises.

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan previously rejected criticism of a newly established defense pact between Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.

Speaking at a panel in New York on Türkiye-U.S. relations, he said it was too early to judge the effectiveness of the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement by its response to the long-running conflict in Yemen.

Türkiye's top diplomat pointed to NATO, noting that Article 5, the alliance’s collective defense provision, has been formally invoked only once since NATO was established in 1949, following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.

"This is not fair,” Fidan said in response to criticism describing the new pact as a "paper tiger.” He said NATO was not subjected to the same criticism despite its decades-long history and argued that the newly established Mecca framework should not be judged against a crisis in Yemen that has lasted about a decade.

"We have just started,” he stated.

Türkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia held the first meeting of the Strategic Political and Defense Committee established under the agreement in Istanbul on Aug. 31. At that meeting, the three countries agreed to take further steps to institutionalize cooperation and establish a secretariat in Saudi Arabia headed initially by a Pakistani secretary-general for a three-year term.

They also agreed to pursue cooperation in the defense industry, joint technology development and production, as well as efforts to improve interoperability among their armed forces.

The military chiefs of Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan planned an urgent meeting under their joint defense pact to discuss ways to support Riyadh following attacks by Yemen’s Houthi group, the Saudi Foreign Ministry also announced.

The meeting comes after Saudi Arabia said its air defenses intercepted six ballistic missiles launched by the Iran-aligned Houthis toward Taif and Yanbu. The Houthis said they targeted what they described as a sensitive site in Riyadh and Saudi Aramco facilities in Yanbu with missiles and drones.

Saudi civil defense authorities also issued warnings over potential threats to Mecca, Jeddah, Taif, Yanbu and Tabuk, urging residents to follow official instructions and stay away from gathering areas. Authorities later said the threat had ended.

Saudi-led coalition spokesperson Brig. Gen. Turki al-Maliki said all six ballistic missiles launched by the Houthis were intercepted and destroyed, including missiles targeting Taif and Yanbu.

Fighting between Yemen’s government forces and the Houthis has intensified in recent months, while the group has carried out missile and drone attacks against Saudi Arabia.

The military talks come as Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan continue efforts to establish the institutional structure of their new defense framework.

Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said Wednesday that retired Lt. Gen. Nauman Mahmood had been appointed the first secretary-general of the Mecca defense alliance.

Mahmood will head the alliance’s general secretariat in Riyadh for a three-year term.

The three countries previously agreed that the secretary-general position would rotate among members, with Pakistan holding the post first.