Syria's foreign minister said on Tuesday that Damascus is assessing whether to become a member of the Mecca defence pact, an alliance that binds Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.
The minister described the decision as an evaluation, without providing a timetable for any formal request or accession. He did not give further details about what terms Syria would seek or how it would participate in the pact's security arrangements.
The Mecca defence pact, which involves Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, is presented by its signatories as a framework for mutual security cooperation. Syria's possible interest in joining comes amid a period of shifting regional ties and diplomatic engagement across the Middle East.
A move toward membership would mark a notable diplomatic development for Damascus, which has been largely isolated by many governments since the outbreak of its conflict in 2011. Analysts say any change in Syria's international posture could have implications for regional security calculations, but those effects would depend on the specifics of any agreement and the responses of existing pact members.
There was no immediate public response from officials in Turkiye, Saudi Arabia or Pakistan following the foreign minister's remarks. It remained unclear how quickly the evaluation might progress or whether the other parties would welcome Syrian participation.