Recep Tayyip Erdogan says "developing joint projects in the defence industries" under the Mecca pact

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the security pact signed Friday and known as the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement is meant to expand beyond its three initial members as regional alignments shift after the U.S.-Iranian war. The agreement unites three U.S. allies, includes a mutual-defense commitment, and, according to Erdogan, opens the way for shared arms-production projects. Turkey’s foreign minister, Hakan Fidan, said Egypt could join in the next stage once a few technical issues are settled; he plans to visit Cairo, and Egypt has not commented. Erdogan framed the deal as regional countries handling their own security instead of accepting arrangements dictated from abroad. The pact reflects broader rethinking of Middle East security after months of conflict.