Bangladesh Keen To Join Saudi-Pak-Turkey Defence Alliance, Says PM's Top Aide

[Asfandyar Bhittani]

Tripartite agreement to be called ‘Makkah Defence Alliance’, with first secretary general from Pakistan: Turkish FM Fidan
Turkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Monday said that the tripartite agreement between Ankara, Islamabad and Riyadh will be known as “Makkah Defence Alliance”, with its first secretary general to be from Pakistan.

He made the announcement while addressing a press conference following the first meeting of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee, established under the agreement, held in Istanbul.

Foreign and defence ministers of the three countries, as well as top military officials, attended the meeting in Istanbul’s Ciragan Palace.


Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, and Defence Minister Khawaja Asif represented Pakistan.

In his press conference, Fidan noted that his country hosted the first meeting of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee on Monday.

He said the meeting was held “in relation to the concrete steps that are going to be taken for the implementation of the agreement” and an exchange of views was held for that purpose.

“As of today, we have started the process of establishing the institutional structure of the alliance,” Fidan said, announcing that the agreement’s official name will be “Makkah Defence Alliance”.

“There is a secretariat that has been established in Riyadh, and the first secretary general will be appointed amongst our Pakistani brothers,” he said.

He said that during the meeting, decisions were taken on “how and when to begin institutionalisation and all our brothers expressed views during the meeting”.

Fidan hoped that decisions taken in the meeting will yield “excellent results”.

“For the future of a secure, stable and prosperous region, this alliance is based on international principles such as respecting the sovereignty of other states, territorial integrity and not intervening in internal affairs,” he said, adding that the alliance was not against any country.

He maintained that the alliance was “open for the partnership and participation of any other country”. However, Fidan stressed that there were “some conditions, rules and standards”, adding that the alliance’s nature was such that it was “expected to expand”.

Stressing the need for institutionalisation of the alliance, he said: “If an ally wants to join, the alliance should be functional in a proper manner by then.”

He added that the alliance did not “eliminate our countries’ responsibilities to other agreements or alliances”. Fidan hoped that with Monday’s meeting, the three countries had demonstrated readiness to take responsibility for the security and stability of the region.

“We will closely cooperate with friendly countries, and we will continue coordinating our efforts,” he said. Fidan also noted that the lack of “alliances and trust” between regional countries had given rise to security problems.

The joint defence pact, signed on August 7, empowers the member states to treat an attack against one of them as an attack against all of them.

 

[Asfandyar Bhittani]

However, Fidan stressed that there were “some conditions, rules and standards”, adding that the alliance’s nature was such that it was “expected to expand”.

I knew this would be the case but glad this is spelled out. Countries like Bangladesh which has no airforce or Syria which has no military (unless you call militants in uniform military) should not be included until they invest in the military.

Also, countries like Iran, which have attacked two of the member states directly (Pakistan even before these wars) and attacked third (Turkey) but rejected responsibility.

It also armed rebel factions in Yemen against Yemeni govt and by extension their Saudi allies. It also based India in chabahar in Sistan Balochistan.

There would need to be a tectonic shift in Iranian security policy to be even considered

It would be better if the MDA focuses on countries like Egypt, or even Qatar ( but their fitna making tendencies could become a liability).

These rest should only be allowed on Major non-NATO ally pattern. Where they aren't members but MDA could choose to back them with weapons sales or transfers to have influence in certain sectors like Sudan, somalia, Yemen, Syria, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Cyprus, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Libya, ......

 

[maxpane]

am happy to hear that there is a criteria to join this pact.A country has to fulfill certain conditions to join this pact. it shows three countries are open but want certain countries show commitment and seriousness to join this pact

 

[Distant_Observer]

Bangladesh thinks it can balance its relationship with India and Pakistan and remain standoffish with Pakistan and can still be included in this alliance.

This is not how this works.

Send your PM to Pakistan for a visit and officially remove the requirement of an apology for 1971. Then we can move forward and develop the relationship further. Pakistan will need full access to BD airspace to attack India if it feels threatened. This will be the bare minimum of what BD will bring to the table.

 

[Pakistani Dragon]

As previously stated, this is just BD tactic to extract a better deal from India, simple pressure tactic.

The Pakistani posters inviting BD to the pact have no sympathies for BD and would only like that they voluntarily fall on the sword for them.

There is racial and ideological differences between Pakistanis and BD. These can only be termed as visceral. There's no Pakistani out here who has genuine sympathy for BD or her people.

I don't think so.
Bangladesh Zindabad.

It's been over half a century, and most young Pakistanis today probably don't even realise that Bangladesh and Pakistan were once part of the same country.

The younger generation largely just sees Bangladesh as a Muslim country and instinctively supports it against the likes of India and Myanmar.

 

[peagle]

No one has ever complained about Indonesia role in ASEAN
Indonesians have kept religion out of ASEAN grouping. Almost to the point of looking the other way on obvious abuses like what Myanmar does

@Indos

What does that have to do with what i said???

Why am i flooded with stupid Indians today, you people are like flies. Can i please get one sensible contribution.

 

[El Sidd]

I don't think so.
Bangladesh Zindabad.

It's been over half a century, and most young Pakistanis today probably don't even realise that Bangladesh and Pakistan were once part of the same country.

The younger generation largely just sees Bangladesh as a Muslim country and instinctively supports it against the likes of India and Myanmar.

You must be talking about UKistanis because Fall of Dhaka is taught in Pakistani curriculum and politicians routinely threaten Pakistani state with it.

However I would admit that Muslim blackmail typically works with Pakistanis.

 

[nahtanbob]

What does that have to do with what i said???

Why am i flooded with stupid Indians today, you people are like flies. Can i please get one sensible contribution.

you are saying Bangladesh cannot be invited to ASEAN because they are another 200 million Muslim country

 

[mythbuster]

It is. Hopefully it becomes sensible with future BD leaders (even for the sake of consistency and truth, if not to warm up to Pakistan) to leave it behind.




Bro, BD didn't exist India and its puppet Hassina's grip just to get into someone else's orbit. Friendly or otherwise. Pakistan would like us to be rabid anti-India as it obviously fits its strategic interest to keep India occupied on another front. But obviously that's not what's gonna happen. Because we want each bilateral relationship to be of our own choosing according to our interest and our assessment. It Can't be determined by someone else.

You can't have your cake and eat it too... when you join alliances it's natural to compromise on certain aspects of your soveignity... you can't hug Modi and Asim Munir at the same time...
Anyway MDAs primary objective is to bring stability in the middle east and BD is too far away...it doesn't have the capacity to make any contribution...as the saying goes ! Never say Never , however I don't see BD becoming a member in the foreseeable future.