Makkah Agreement: Field Marshal’s Visit to Turkey on Victory Day

Makkah Agreement: Field Marshal’s Visit to Turkey on Victory Day
(Asghar Ali Mubarak)
Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir’s visit to Turkey signifies the operational commencement of the largest and most enduring defense bloc in the history of the Muslim world.
This 104th Victory Day of Turkey is proving to be the beginning of a new golden chapter in the strategic relations between Pakistan and Turkey. The presence of Pakistani military and political leadership on this historic and national occasion is transforming the Mecca Joint Defense Treaty from a mere paper agreement into an invincible reality on the ground.
Victory Day is celebrated to commemorate the decisive victory of the Turkish army under the leadership of Ghazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk over the British, Greek, and other occupying European forces in the historic and final Battle of Dumlupınar, fought in 1922. This victory thwarted the plans of foreign powers to divide Turkey after the fall of the Ottoman Empire and paved the way for the independence of the current “Republic of Turkey”. The celebration in Ankara begins with the President of Turkey, top civil and military leadership, and foreign guests visiting and laying wreaths at the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey. Traditional military parades are held by the Turkish armed forces in all major cities, including Ankara and Istanbul, in which the latest weapons, drones, and warplanes like the KAAN manufactured by Turkey are displayed. This year’s Victory Day is very special for Pakistan. Because: Participation of Pakistani leadership: Pakistan’s Army Chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar are currently in Ankara and are participating in this celebration with the Turkish nation.
In a grand ceremony held on the occasion of this Victory Day, Field Marshal Asim Munir was awarded Turkey’s highest military award, the “Legion of Merit”, in recognition of taking the defense relations of the two countries to new heights.
This visit and this historic day have become the starting point for implementing the formal framework of the Pak-Turkish-Saudi Arabia ‘Makkah Joint Defense Agreement’ and the joint military strategy on the ground.
After Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, the arrival of Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar, in Turkey is not just a traditional diplomatic tour. The historic ‘Makkah Joint Defense Agreement’ signed between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey on August 7, 2026, on the holy land of Makkah, is now beginning to be seen on the ground simultaneously on both the military and diplomatic fronts. Upon his arrival in Istanbul, Deputy Prime Minister Senator Ishaq Dar was received by senior Turkish government officials, including Deputy Chief of Staff for Administration Brigadier General Şenol Varol, Turkish Foreign Ministry Ambassador Jihad Ergunoy, and Pakistan’s Ambassador to Turkey Dr. Yusuf Junaid. The simultaneous presence of Pakistan’s top military and political leadership in Turkey is proof that Islamabad, Riyadh and Ankara have together established a strong defense and diplomatic fence on the lines of NATO, the echo of which is being heard from Washington to New Delhi. Field Marshal Asim Munir and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar are finalizing the first regular session of the ‘Political and Defense Strategic Committee’ with the Turkish leadership in Ankara and Istanbul. The main pillar of this agreement is the same as NATO’s Article 5: “An external armed attack on any of the Allies shall be considered an attack on all three.” This is an extraordinary and bold decision that has completely changed the balance of power in the region. Saudi Arabia’s immense financial power, Turkey’s state-of-the-art drone and naval technology, and Pakistan’s nuclear capability and battle-tested army have together formed an impregnable triangle. Now this alliance is not limited to just buying weapons, but the joint production of Turkey’s ‘KAAN’ fifth-generation fighter aircraft and the localization of drone technology are its main goals. Immediately after the Mecca agreement, Field Marshal Asim Munir’s recent visit to Iran is a testament to Pakistan’s deep insight on the diplomatic front. During his meetings with the Iranian military leadership and the president in Tehran, the army chief gave a clear message that the Mecca agreement is not an alignment against any neighboring country, but a guarantee of regional stability. By discussing cross-border security with Iran, the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, and the elimination of terrorism, Pakistan proved that it will not become part of any new gulf or confrontation in the region by leading this new bloc, but rather play the role of connecting Muslim countries. As the echo of the Mecca agreement spread around the world, the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi became the center of global and regional diplomacy. Over the past few days, Field Marshal Asim Munir has been met by the Ministers of Defense, Interior, Ambassadors and high-level delegations of the most important Muslim countries, which have confirmed the confidence of the Islamic world in this strategic bloc. In order to further strengthen the strategic partnership in South Asia and the ASEAN region, Malaysian Home Minister Sulaiman Nasutyan bin Ismail paid a special visit to GHQ along with a high-level delegation and the Malaysian Ambassador. In this important meeting with Field Marshal Asim Munir, the regional security situation, counter-terrorism, and issues of mutual interest were discussed in detail. Both countries, appreciating the security implications of the Mecca Agreement, reaffirmed their firm commitment to further expand defense ties and strategic cooperation. Kuwaiti Minister of Defense Sheikh Abdullah Ali Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah visited GHQ along with a high-level delegation and the Chief of General Staff Lieutenant General Khalid Daraj Saad Al-Shari’an. In this meeting, held in the context of the Mecca Agreement, the Kuwaiti delegation expressed its determination to transform regional security and bilateral defense cooperation into a sustainable partnership.
In furtherance of the spirit of the Makkah Agreement, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture, Eng. Abdulrahman Abdulmohsen Al-Fadli, met with Field Marshal Asim Munir at GHQ. In this meeting, it was agreed to increase joint investments in the areas of Green Pakistan and agricultural self-sufficiency under the economic pillar of the Makkah Agreement.
Egypt has warmly welcomed the agreement. During the meeting of the Egyptian Ambassador and military delegation at GHQ, it emerged that Egypt considers this alliance indispensable for the security of the region and, according to diplomatic sources in Ankara, Egypt is ready in principle to join this defense bloc as the fourth permanent member very soon.
Following the recent political upheavals in Bangladesh, the Bangladeshi leadership, during a security exchange at GHQ, has lauded the Makkah Agreement as a welcome development for the strategic stability of South Asia and expressed its desire to enhance defense ties with Pakistan.
The Qatari defense delegation, during its visit to GHQ, expressed keen interest in being part of the framework of technical developments, joint exercises and intelligence sharing under the Makkah Agreement.
In continuation of these important meetings, Syrian Foreign Minister Asad Al-Shaibani and Somali Defense Minister Ambassador Ahmed Muallem Faki also paid separate visits to GHQ. These countries, appreciating Pakistan’s emerging global military role after the Mecca Agreement, signed agreements to promote institutional cooperation with Pakistan in multilateral security relations.
Pakistan is no longer just a country receiving aid or external dictation, but has emerged as the axis of the largest defense alliance in the Muslim world under the military command of a Field Marshal and the political and diplomatic strategy of the Prime Minister.
The presence of diplomatic delegations from countries like Malaysia, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Somalia at GHQ and the grand welcome of the Pakistani leadership in Turkey are proof that the Muslim world has complete trust in Pakistan’s military and strategic role.
The Makkah Agreement is not just a piece of paper, but it is a new dawn for the end of the era of dependency and the self-motivation of the Muslim world.
Describing the Makkah Agreement as a mere traditional diplomatic achievement is tantamount to reducing its strategic depth. This agreement provides the Muslim world with the power to make its own decisions (self-reliance) instead of relying on the blocs of Washington, Moscow, or Beijing. The three basic pillars of this self-reliance are as follows:
Technical and defense self-sufficiency: The greatest beauty of the Makkah agreement is that it completely ends the old and needy policy of buying expensive ready-made weapons from the West. Under this agreement, Ankara, Riyadh and Islamabad are jointly working on technology transfer. With Saudi funding for Pakistan’s Ordnance Factories (POF) and Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT) and the backing of modern engineering from Turkey, the bloc is now gaining the ability to manufacture its own defense equipment, which will forever eliminate the threat of external sanctions or blackmail.
Potential Framework of Muslim NATO: This agreement is providing an alternative for the first time in the history of the Islamic world that has been dreamed of for decades. The recent high-level military meetings of Egypt, Qatar, Kuwait, and Malaysia at GHQ are clear evidence that the Makkah Agreement will not be limited to just three countries. This alliance is playing the role of the infrastructure of the future ‘Muslim NATO’, which is developing a joint command-and-control and automatic system of immediate response in case of external aggression against any Islamic country.
Security of global financial and energy routes: A large part of the world’s total oil and gas supply passes through the Strait of Hormuz, the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea.
Under the Makkah Agreement, the Navies of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey are developing a common framework to take control of the security of these strategic waterways. With this move, not only will the bloc protect its own energy routes, but the political and diplomatic influence of the Muslim world on international trade routes will become extremely strong, which is the biggest proof of the end of the era of need. The presence of the Pakistani leadership on the occasion of the grand national celebration of Turkey’s 104th historic Victory Day (Zafer Bayramı) on August 30, and the awarding of Turkey’s highest military award, the “Legion of Merit”, to Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir in Ankara, are clear proof that the Pak-Turkish strategic brotherhood has now become an invincible force.