Istanbul (Monitoring Desk) — Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, responding to criticism of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement between Pakistan, Türkiye and Saudi Arabia, has said that it is not appropriate to demand an immediate solution to Yemen’s decade-long crisis from the newly established defence alliance.
Addressing a seminar in New York, Hakan Fidan responded to former US Ambassador James Jeffrey’s question about the alliance’s test by saying that during NATO’s 50-year history, Article 5 on collective defence had been invoked only once, but no one calls NATO a paper tiger on that basis.
The Turkish Foreign Minister said defence cooperation between Pakistan, Türkiye and Saudi Arabia is related to peace and stability in the region, and the role of the new defence alliance should be assessed in the context of its practical actions and prevailing circumstances.