ANKARA: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the Makkah defence pact between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkiye sends an important message to the Islamic world and will have positive effects.
Speaking to young people during a question-and-answer session in Samsun, Erdogan said Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkiye had taken the step together to send a message to the Islamic world.
He said positive developments were already taking place as a result of the initiative and expressed confidence that the countries would succeed.
Responding to a question, Erdogan said he would continue advocating for a just world.
He also said Turkiye was closely monitoring developments in the Strait of Hormuz, adding that serious difficulties were being faced not only in the strait but also in several parts of the Gulf.
Erdogan said Turkiye believed that the challenges facing the Islamic world should be addressed as soon as possible and that his country was playing its role in achieving that objective.
He said the situation could not be taken lightly because people had high expectations from Turkiye.
Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan discussed the next steps for their new defense alliance and reviewed regional and international issues during a phone call on Sunday, Sep. 6, as both countries work to implement agreements reached at the alliance's first committee meeting concerning the Makkah Defense Agreement.
According to the Foreign Office, Dar and Prince Faisal also exchanged views on regional and global developments. They discussed matters of shared interest at international and multilateral forums, while also reviewing issues related to cooperation between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
