ANKARA, August 7 (HS/RIA Novosti) - Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are expected to sign a joint defense pact in the Saudi city of Jeddah providing for intelligence-sharing cooperation and coordination on regional security, the Turkiye newspaper reported on Friday.

On Friday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived in Jeddah for talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

The meeting in Jeddah will focus on establishing a new trilateral security cooperation mechanism, with Turkey acceding to the Saudi-Pakistani strategic defense cooperation framework, established in 2025, the report said. The deal will provide for cooperation in the defense industry, military education, intelligence sharing and regional security coordination to the highest possible level, it added.

The talks have been reportedly underway for some time. However, the worsened military and political situation in the region, threats to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea, as well as risks linked with the activities of Yemen's Ansar Allah movement, also known as the Houthis, accelerated preparations for the signing, the newspaper said.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Indrani Sarkar