Analysis

In-Depth Analysis

Smart, independent reporting on Turkey's politics, economy and foreign affairs.

THE MECCA TRAP: WHY TURKEY'S NEW PACT BETRAYS ITS OWN INTERESTS
Guest Voices Sep 10, 2026

THE MECCA TRAP: WHY TURKEY'S NEW PACT BETRAYS ITS OWN INTERESTS

The Mecca Joint defense Agreement signed by Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan at the beginning of last month came as a surprise to many, although Turkey was interested in joining the defense agreement signed by the latter two a year ago. The new agreement goes further than defense cooperation due to a collective security pledge modelled on NATO’s famous Article 5.

Guest Voices 4 min
A NEW SUNNI AXIS?
Guest Voices Aug 13, 2026

A NEW SUNNI AXIS?

On Friday — a day of particular symbolic weight for the Islamic world — President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif put their signatures to a trilateral defense agreement in Mecca, Islam’s holiest city.

Guest Voices 4 min