Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has suggested that Egypt could potentially join the joint defence agreement recently signed by Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan. In an exclusive interview for Al Jazeera’s Al Muqabala, set to air this Sunday, Erdogan described Cairo’s future accession as a possibility, noting that the pact remains open to additional members.
The agreement, formally known as the Mecca Pact, was signed last Friday in the holy city by Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The treaty includes a collective-deterrence provision stipulating that an armed attack against any one of the three signatories would be treated as an attack against all of them. While analysts have drawn parallels to NATO’s Article 5, officials in Islamabad have urged caution against framing the deal as a direct equivalent to the Western alliance or as a move targeting any specific nation. Erdogan stated that the agreement sends an important message to the global community.
Beyond the pact, the Turkish leader addressed several regional flashpoints, including the wars in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria, as well as tensions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz. Erdogan emphasized that reopening the strait is a priority for Ankara and praised Qatar’s mediation efforts in the region. He pledged that Turkiye would not abandon its neighbors, confirming plans to visit Syria to support stability and ensure that the country’s Kurdish communities share in a future of peace and security.
Regarding the ongoing conflict in Gaza, Erdogan asserted that Turkiye remains committed to supporting the territory, claiming that Hamas is acting in good faith while Israel continues its military campaign. He also expressed serious concern over Israeli strikes in Lebanon, noting that he discussed the necessity of ending that war with U.S. President Donald Trump during his recent visit to Ankara.
Erdogan further affirmed that Turkiye would maintain its support for Sudan, citing positive relations with the head of its Sovereignty Council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. He also described Ankara’s ties with Libya as stable, vowing that his government would not abandon the nation.
On the international stage, the president dismissed the prospect of European Union membership, stating that it is no longer a priority for Ankara. He argued that the EU appears unwilling to admit Turkiye and warned that Europe would ultimately be the loser in that dynamic.
The interview also touched upon the status of F-35 fighter jets. Erdogan stated he is waiting for U.S. President Trump to honor a promise regarding the aircraft. Turkiye was excluded from the F-35 program in 2019 following its acquisition of the Russian S-400 air defense system, which Washington claimed posed a security risk to the stealth technology.
During the recent NATO summit in Ankara, Trump suggested his administration would lift the CAATSA sanctions imposed in December 2020 and indicated that a return to the F-35 program was a possibility. However, any potential sale continues to face significant hurdles, including resistance from the U.S. Congress and a 2020 law that prohibits the Pentagon from transferring the jets to Turkiye as long as the S-400 system remains in its possession.
Concerning Gaza, Erdogan said Turkiye “cannot leave Gaza alone” and would do whatever was necessary to support it.
Turkiye was removed from the multinational F-35 programme in 2019 after taking delivery of the Russian-made S-400 air defence system, which Washington argued could compromise the stealth jet’s technology.
Turkiye would also continue to strengthen ties with Kurdish communities and safeguard their rights across the region, he added.
Source: Aljazeera
