Turkey, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia Formalize Joint Defense Pact

Turkey's parliament took a key step toward a three-way military alliance with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. The Foreign Affairs Committee of the Grand National Assembly approved the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement for ratification. Under the pact, an attack on any one of the three nations is treated as an attack on all. The alliance carries a 10-year commitment. Analysts say the deal rests on different needs for each side: Saudi Arabia's security requirements, and Turkey and Pakistan's economic and strategic expectations.