Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan Sign Mutual Defense Pact Reflecting Regional Threats

Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan, all Sunni-majority countries, have signed a mutual defense pact, reflecting a shared sense of threat primarily from Shia Iran and Israel. This alliance, known as the Mecca Pact, aligns partially with Samuel Huntington's 1993 'Clash of Civilisations' thesis, which suggested future conflicts would occur along cultural and religious lines. However, the pact's cohesion is challenged by differing national enemies and historical divisions within the Islamic world, such as the Sunni-Shia split and regional rivalries.