Trump Backs 'Islamic NATO'; Praises Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Pakistan For 'Big, Bold First Step'

<p>US President Donald Trump on Sunday backed the newly signed Mecca Joint Defence Agreement between Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan, describing the pact as a &ldquo;big, bold, and important first step&rdquo;.</p> <p>Signed on August 7, the agreement brings three major Islamic nations closer on defence cooperation and has drawn comparisons with Nato's collective defence principle. The emerging grouping has also been dubbed &ldquo;Islamic Nato&rdquo; because of its resemblance to Nato's core defence commitment.</p> <p>Trump welcomed the agreement in a post on Truth Social, saying it demonstrated that &ldquo;the Middle East is coming together&rdquo; and would allow countries in the region to defend themselves &ldquo;in a more meaningful way&rdquo;.</p> <h2>Trump Hails Three-Nation Defence Agreement</h2> <p>&ldquo;Very happy to see that Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan have recently, and finally, signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement,&rdquo; Trump wrote in his post.</p> <p>He said the pact showed how the Middle East was moving towards greater unity and suggested that the participating countries would now have a stronger ability to defend themselves.</p> <p>&ldquo;Congratulations to the Great Leadership of the three Nations mentioned. THIS IS A BIG, BOLD, AND IMPORTANT FIRST STEP &mdash; WOW,&rdquo; Trump added.</p> <h2>Pact Signed By Saudi, Turkish and Pakistani leaders</h2> <p>The agreement was signed in Jeddah by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.</p> <p>The pact has brought Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan closer in the defence sphere and has prompted comparisons with Nato's collective defence framework. Its perceived similarity to that principle has led to the informal description of the three-country grouping as &ldquo;Islamic Nato&rdquo;.</p> <p>Trump's endorsement comes as the agreement marks a significant step in closer defence ties between the three nations.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>

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