Turkish army chief to attend Mecca defense pact chiefs of staff meeting in Saudi Arabia

Turkey's army chief is scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia to take part in a chiefs of staff meeting connected to the Mecca defense pact, according to Anadolu Agency.

The report gives no further details on the planned meeting, including its exact date, agenda, or the list of other countries' military chiefs expected to attend alongside the Turkish delegation.

Part of wider regional defense coordination

The Mecca defense pact refers to a security arrangement among Muslim-majority states, and meetings of chiefs of staff under such frameworks are typically used to coordinate military cooperation, information-sharing and joint planning among member states.

Turkey has in recent years expanded its defense and diplomatic engagement across the Gulf region, and participation by its top military officer in this meeting would be consistent with that broader pattern of coordination with Saudi Arabia and other regional partners.

Officials had not released additional information on the outcomes expected from the meeting at the time of reporting.