Nations see growing need for defense ties to diversify from US, as Houthis attack Saudi
Turkish manufacturer Aselsan’s Steel Dome, a multilayered integrated air and missile defense system, and Korkut, a very short range air defense system on display at a trade show in Istanbul in May. © Reuters
ADNAN AAMIR and SINAN TAVSAN
October 23, 2026 11:32 JST
Updated on October 23, 2026 17:12 JST
ISLAMABAD/ISTANBUL — Turkey, Pakistan, Indonesia and Qatar signed a defense agreement this week that expands the capabilities of the Mecca alliance involving Saudi Arabia, as geopolitical tensions rise in the Middle East.
DATE . 23/Oct/2026