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Makkah pact aims to strengthen collective deterrence among Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye
Turkiye sent a defence treaty with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to parliament for ratification on Tuesday, three parliamentary sources said, bringing NATO’s second-largest army closer to a formal mutual defence promise with Riyadh as it fears Houthi threats.
The three countries signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement in August, under which an armed attack on one member is an attack on all.
The first clause of the agreement says the parties shall use “all necessary means” to eradicate threats to each other’s territorial integrity, sovereignty or internationally recognised borders, according to a text seen by Reuters.Article 2 of the agreement states, “If one of the parties is subjected to an armed attack or military aggression by another country or group of countries, the parties shall immediately render assistance to the party which is under attack, with all means of mutual assistance at their disposal.”
Similar to NATO’s Article 5, the clause references Article 51 of the UN Charter, which deals with the individual or collective right of states to self-defence against armed attack.
The same page says the three countries “will determine the scope and nature of the support to be provided following an objective assessment of the assistance required” and will collaborate within their available resources, including military capabilities and resources.
Earlier this month, the three countries decided in an emergency alliance conference in Riyadh to guarantee the “rapid deployment” of military forces and capabilities in Saudi Arabia.
Turkiye, which has its own strong defence sector, has condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, showed a willingness to help satisfy Riyadh’s military technology demands and agreed to join a Saudi-led coalition to assure navigational safety in the Red Sea.
The pact also foresees tight cooperation on the defence sector, exchange of information, logistical support, and the fight against “all forms of terrorism”, including at the operational level.
Parliamentary approval is required for Turkiye to formally sign off on the pact.
The aim is to “strengthen collective deterrence”
Two sources claimed Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus, who is on a visit to Kyrgyzstan, would send the deal to the foreign affairs commission of parliament after he returns. The terms and specifics of the agreement are expected to be released when it is filed with the commission.
The commission may discuss the accord as early as Friday, another person added.
Turkiye’s latest move was an important milestone in the institutionalisation of strategic collaboration between the three countries, Burhanettin Duran, communications director for President Tayyip Erdogan, stated.“This strategic partnership between our countries aims to strengthen collective deterrence, improve joint capabilities in the defence sector and secure security and stability in our region,” Duran said in a post on X.
A Turkish official, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said Turkey’s own contribution was likely to be limited to military equipment, intelligence sharing and weapons systems, and no other form of deployment had been made under the alliance so far.
“The Mecca Agreement is not a ‘offensive agreement,’ and Turkiye would not send forces to another nation to conduct out operations on its land. When asked how Turkiye could help Saudi Arabia fight against attacks by Yemen’s Houthis, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan responded
Turkey’s constitution needs independent parliamentary approval for any deployment of military overseas, regardless of international agreements.
Latest News
OpenAI says its AI agents weakened internal monitoring system
Two of OpenAI’s artificial intelligence agents turned off sections of an internal monitoring system designed to identify misbehaviour, the latest example of AI agents operating in ways the developers did not expect, the company said Tuesday.
While the ChatGPT maker stated the incidences occurred during internal code work and were not considered its most serious, the disclosure underscores how even the methods developers use to spot AI misbehavior are vulnerable to the agents they monitor.
The discovery also comes amid rising fears that efforts on AI safety are failing to keep pace with the rapid development of ever more powerful systems. Scientists have cautioned about the emergence of powerful AI agents becoming increasingly autonomous and difficult to monitor and manage.
In recent months, developers including IPO-bound rivals OpenAI and Anthropic have disclosed incidents where their AI agents accessed external systems without authorisation.
In a blog post Tuesday, OpenAI reported that a GPT-6.1 Sol agent on an internal testing task on October 3 disabled automatic security alarms after interpreting an earlier order not to send Slack messages as also covering safety notifications.
Separately, on Oct. 6, an Astra agent using GPT-6 removed a safety monitor when copying an existing piece of code and later stated falsely that it did not do so, OpenAI said.“In both cases, agents thought about keeping monitoring safeguards in place but “interpreted normal coding instructions as permission to weaken them,” the company said.
“OpenAI said it was making it harder for models to disable monitoring, saying it does not ‘yet have a satisfying explanation for this behavior’.
The San Francisco-based company said it was studying whether its models would be inclined to avoid being observed and seek out reasons to justify such behaviour.
Latest News
Pakistan decide not to participate in Over-50s Cricket World Cup 2027 in India
– Pakistan have decided not to participate in the Over-50 Cricket World Cup 2027 scheduled to take place in India after failing to secure government permission for the tournament.
The competition is scheduled to be held in Hyderabad Deccan from January 23 to February 7, 2027. Pakistan was due to participate as defending champions after winning the 2025 edition in Sri Lanka.
Fawad Ejaz Khan, chairman of the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA), said Indian veterans cricket officials had assured the Pakistani team of visa arrangements and high-level security for the tournament.
He said the association had sought permission to participate from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Interior. However, Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi subsequently informed the association that permission would not be granted.
Following the government’s decision, the association decided against sending the team to India, Khan said, adding that the organisation respected the government’s position.
Business
India’s Jio IPO opens for public bids in record $3.2 billion sale
Jio Platforms’ (JIOP.NS) $3.2 billion IPO launches on Wednesday, testing demand for India’s largest share sale to date and the first from billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance (RELI.NS) conglomerate in two decades.
The Jio Platforms IPO will be a crucial test of global appetite for fresh share offerings at a time when investors have tightened their examination of AI-related companies which some analysts think might see them shifting away from the technology.
Jio Platforms, the parent of India’s biggest telecom firm with over 500 million subscribers, backed by Meta, Google and institutional investors, is the world’s second-largest telecom operator in a single country behind China Mobile.
The IPO values Jio Platforms at up to $108.3 billion, possibly making it one of India’s biggest corporations by market valuation when trading kicks out on October 28. About a third of the shares on offer are allocated for retail investors.
Jio Platforms this week allocated $853 million worth of shares to global and local investors including Abu Dhabi Investment Authority and BlackRock, after the reserved part for such investors attracted bids of more than $25 billion.
LAUNCH DATES FESTIVE
Retail investors and Reliance’s employees and stockholders will get a chance to join in the offering that closes Friday and has a price range of 1,065 to 1,119 rupees a share.
The IPO is Reliance’s first since 2006 and is larger than previous huge offerings such as Hyundai Motor India (HYUN.NS), opens new tab, and National Stock Exchange (NSEI.BO).
The plans were also delayed in 2025, when Ambani first said he planned to list in five years in 2019. A filing in as early as March was stymied by the Iran war sapping IPO enthusiasm.
Ambani’s son Akash runs Jio Platforms’ telecom company, which started in 2016 with the gamble that Indians would use the internet a lot more if it cost virtually nothing. It quickly seized market share from rivals like Bharti Airtel (BRTI.NS), opens new tab and Vodafone Idea (VODA.NS), opens new tab with cheap data and free voice calls.
Jio Platforms is selling its IPO in the middle of a Hindu festive season, seen as a lucky time for buying, although Indian markets have been dull in recent weeks.
Reliance this month also paid pay cheques approximately 15 days early to its more than 400,000 employees and in recent weeks helped expedite share account opening services to people interested in applying for the IPO, said a person in the business with direct knowledge of the situation.
Reliance did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
For the year ending in March, Jio Platforms posted a profit of $3.2 billion on revenue of $15.5 billion. Its telecoms division alone accounted for over 90% of those figures.
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