HNW Welcomes Mecca Defence Pact, Urges Strengthened OIC Cooperation
Deputy Speaker of the People’s Consultative Assembly of the Republic of Indonesia (MPR RI) Hidayat Nur Wahid (HNW) has welcomed the defence pact between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey signed in the city of Mecca, known as the Mecca Defence Pact.
HNW expressed hope that the pact could become a momentum to strengthen cooperation among member states of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), not only in defence but also in the economy and education.
“This initiative is an excellent step to maintain regional stability and world peace,” HNW said in a written statement on Thursday (13/8/2026).
HNW noted that the Mecca Defence Pact currently involves only three countries: Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey. However, he said the three nations hold significant influence in the Middle East region and the OIC, and they reinforce one another in the fields of politics, technology, military, and economy.
He therefore assessed that there is great potential to expand the cooperation to other OIC member states while also broadening its scope to include economic and educational fields.
Several OIC member states in the region, such as Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Somalia, and Bahrain, have also reportedly welcomed the defence cooperation. HNW said the spirit of togetherness must be maintained, especially given the Turkish Foreign Minister’s clarification to Iran that the pact is intended for collective defence against possible attacks from other parties, not to regard Iran as a threat.
“This spirit of togetherness, especially since all are OIC member states, must be maintained by all parties,” he said.
HNW also expressed hope that the Indonesian government would support the various efforts of friendly nations in realising world security and order.
“We do adhere to a Free and Active foreign policy. However, what needs to be highlighted is not only being free, but how we can be actively involved in realising world peace and order, one of which is through the Mecca Defence Pact,” he said.
According to HNW, Indonesia, as one of the largest Muslim-populated countries in the world and a founding member of the OIC, can encourage the strengthening of cooperation in other fields, including the economy and education.
He cited the example of cooperation concepts such as the ASEAN Economic Community, which Indonesia developed together with ASEAN countries.
“Cooperation of this kind could be initiated more seriously, for example with a concept similar to the ASEAN Economic Community, which has been successfully developed by Indonesia together with other ASEAN countries,” he said.
HNW assessed that the close cooperation within the Mecca Defence Pact could serve as a momentum to strengthen the unity of OIC countries while developing cooperation in various fields.
“So, the very close Mecca Defence Pact, which has even been modelled after NATO, should become a shared momentum to forge closer unity and develop other cooperation, such as economic and educational cooperation, so that it not only realises security and defence but also advances civilisation and brings prosperity to its peoples,” he concluded.