President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said the Mecca Defence Alliance has further strengthened solidarity between Türkiye and Pakistan, adding that the two countries would continue to contribute to efforts to end the conflict in Iran jointly.
Earlier, Erdogan received Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on the sidelines of the COP31 summit in the Turkish city of Antalya on Thursday.
The meeting addressed bilateral relations between Türkiye and Pakistan, as well as regional and global developments, according to a statement by the Communications Directorate.
Erdogan said the two countries would continue taking steps to give fresh impetus to bilateral ties, adding that efforts would be accelerated to expand cooperation in various fields, particularly transportation and the defence industry.
He also said Türkiye was ready to do everything possible through peaceful means to help address the challenges Pakistan faces in its region.
Erdogan extended his condolences to Prime Minister Sharif over those killed in a terrorist attack targeting a police convoy in Pakistan.
The Mecca Defence Alliance comprises Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan and aims to strengthen regional security through cooperation and collective defence.
President Erdogan has emphasised that the alliance with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia is not directed against any other country, stressing that the pact is intended to strengthen regional security, deterrence and stability.
On August 31, the Mecca Defence Alliance formally took its first institutional decision at a meeting in Istanbul, as Türkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia agreed to establish a secretariat under the pact.
Since then, the three countries have taken positive steps to institutionalise the pact, including ratification in their respective countries.
Pakistan has been engaged in diplomatic efforts to end the US-Iran war, which was triggered by US-Israeli strikes on Iran and subsequent Iranian retaliation.
Türkiye has time and again called for giving talks a chance and supports Pakistan’s efforts at regional de-escalation and diplomacy.
Earlier, Pakistan's Sharif called for grant-based climate financing for vulnerable countries and warned against the weaponisation of water during his address to the COP31 summit in Türkiye's southern city of Antalya.
Sharif called for grant-based financing, including public-private partnerships, and increased funding for resilience and adaptation, describing them as essential for struggling economies.
He also warned that water “must never be weaponised”, saying no country should be allowed to put the lives and livelihoods of downstream communities at risk.
His remarks came after India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty and stopped sharing water data with Pakistan last year.
