NEWS CENTER / The door to a new security equation may be opening in the Middle East. The claim that a new country will join the Mecca Alliance, which was established under the leadership of Türkiye with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, was brought up live on Israeli television. While it was claimed that approximately 600 soldiers would be deployed, it was revealed that this development caused concern in Tel Aviv.
The claim, made on the Israeli channel i24, was made by referring to the news of the Associated Press (AP) based on three separate sources. According to the news, negotiations are ongoing for Syria to join the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement signed by Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan.
'DECISION HAS BEEN MADE'
The country at the center of the allegations is Syria. It has been claimed that the administration of President Ahmed al-Shara is preparing to send troops to Saudi Arabia and that this step could further the military cooperation between the two countries. Two Syrian sources claimed that a decision on participation has been made but has not been made public yet. A regional source stated that negotiations are continuing.
'600 SOLDIERS WILL BE SENT'
The first contingent of about 600 Syrian soldiers is expected to be deployed to Saudi Arabia within the next week, AP reported, citing sources familiar with the plans. It was claimed that these soldiers could serve in the border regions of the kingdom and even support Saudi Arabia against the Houthis in Yemen.
A regional source and two Syrian officials stated that Syrian military advisors are already in Saudi Arabia, but soldiers have not yet been sent to Yemeni territory.
The Israeli reporter also claimed that Saudi Arabia insisted that the soldiers to be sent should be Syrian citizens, and that foreign soldiers who came to the country during the civil war would not be accepted in this context.
FIRST STATEMENT FROM DAMASCUS
On the other hand, Syrian state news agency SANA denied the reports that there were plans to send troops to Yemen. A diplomatic source in Syria reported that the agreement signed with Saudi Arabia focuses on training military forces, developing their capacities and increasing cooperation in the field of defense.
Thus, a difference emerged between the Damascus administration's statement and the claims based on the Israeli press and AP's sources. While the presence of Syrian military advisors in Saudi Arabia was reported, the claim of sending troops directly to Yemen was rejected by Syria.
THE REAL CONCERN IN TEL AVIV
Speaking to the AP, the regional source also drew attention to an important concern that may come to the fore if Syria joins the Mecca Alliance. The source said that the possibility that the Damascus administration may ask alliance member countries for support against Israel is being evaluated.
After the Assad administration was overthrown in December 2024, Israel took control of the United Nations-controlled buffer zone in southern Syria. The Damascus administration, on the other hand, demanded the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the region and announced that it did not want to enter into a new conflict.
According to Israeli media, Syria's possible participation in the Mecca Alliance is therefore being closely watched not only in terms of military cooperation but also in terms of tensions with Israel.
'IT CAN CHANGE ALL BALANCES'
Israeli reporter said, "If Syria joins the alliance, the scope of the defense mechanism created by Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan may expand. However, the acceptance of new members to the agreement requires the joint decision of the three existing countries. If accepted, it may change all balances."
An official decision regarding Syria's participation in the Mecca Alliance has not been announced yet. However, the claim brought to the agenda on Israeli television and the military preparations reported by the AP show that the search for new security in the region is being closely followed.
AGREEMENT UNITING Türkiye'S REGIONAL POWER
The Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, which is at the center of the development in question, was signed in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on August 7, 2026. The agreement, signed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, aims to transform the defense cooperation between the three countries into a common security mechanism.
One of the most striking articles of the agreement is that an armed attack against one of the parties will be considered as an attack on the others. Intelligence sharing, joint military training, defense industry cooperation and development of military capacities are also among the main topics of the agreement.
The fact that Türkiye is one of the founding partners of this structure has once again brought Ankara's weight in the regional security architecture to the agenda. Türkiye stands out as one of the important elements of the agreement with its strong military capacity, developing defense industry and experience in military cooperation in different geographies.
As a matter of fact, the Turkish Grand National Assembly accepted the agreement on November 5. Thus, Ankara took an important step towards the institutionalization of the joint defense mechanism established with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.
