Participation in the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement does not obligate countries to enter into armed conflict if one of their partners is attacked, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Newsweek.

"Countries will respond based on the requests and needs of the country being attacked. The assistance could be in the form of intelligence, logistics, or weapons support," Erdogan said, adding that the partner countries’ joining an armed conflict is generally possible, but not automatically.

The Turkish president noted that this agreement should not be seen as an alliance against Iran, Israel, or other countries in the region.

Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey signed the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement on August 7, which provides for a collective response in the event of an attack on any of the countries participating in this pact.