'Islamic NATO' Emerges as Erdogan Sends a Strong Message to the World
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has described the new defence agreement between Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan as an important step towards sending a message to the Islamic world amid rising tensions in the Gulf region.
Speaking at a special programme with young people in the northern Turkish province of Samsun, Erdogan said the Makkah Joint Defence Pact — often dubbed the ‘Islamic NATO’ — which was signed last month has driven a number of positive developments.
“Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye came together and took a step. With this step, let us send a message to the Islamic world. There are positive developments, and we will succeed in this,” Erdogan said in a statement released on Monday (14/9/2026), as reported by Anadolu Agency.
Erdogan made the remarks in response to a question about his years-long slogan that “the world is bigger than five”. The statement refers to the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council: the United States, Russia, China, the United Kingdom and France.
According to Erdogan, the composition of the UN Security Council has long failed to reflect the state of the world and is deemed unjust. He once again called for reform of the international system and affirmed that Türkiye would continue to fight for a “fairer world”.
Regarding conditions in the region, Erdogan highlighted developments in the Strait of Hormuz and several other parts of the Gulf. He said the Islamic world is facing serious challenges.
“We are following what is happening in the Strait of Hormuz. And not only what is happening in the Strait of Hormuz; there are serious difficulties in many parts of the Gulf,” he said.
“Türkiye says that we must overcome the difficulties facing the Islamic world as soon as possible. To address them, Türkiye has given its full support to the region, is doing so, and will continue to do so,” Erdogan said.
He added that Ankara could not treat these issues lightly because many parties hold great expectations of Türkiye.
Erdogan also claimed that his government has succeeded in keeping Türkiye safe from the conflicts and crises engulfing neighbouring countries.
“During difficult times when our region has faced crises, wars and conflicts, we have kept our nation away from these dangers,” he said.
According to Erdogan, Türkiye has continued to record significant progress in various fields despite the persistent instability in its surrounding region.