Muslim Countries’ Search for a New Alliance

When we set out on an extremely critical Gulf tour with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, the situation was virtually a war zone. Every country had prepared plans for special corridors that our plane would follow through airspace made dangerous by missiles and fighter jets, and we adhered to these routes.

When we landed in Riyadh, under missiles flying overhead, ministers from 12 countries were about to begin diplomatic talks.

A Surprise Meeting in Riyadh

One of the most important headlines of this trip—or rather, one of its most important outcomes for me—was that the foreign ministers of four countries gathered in Riyadh in a surprise manner to discuss a different issue.

Readers who follow my writings here know that I have repeatedly written that new alliance structures are necessary, and that Türkiye, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt should form the core of this alliance structure.

Officials I had previously spoken with on this matter were saying that there was intent for an alliance, but that no concrete steps had yet been taken. Later, it was announced that there was a security agreement between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, and footage was released.

However, Türkiye and Egypt had not taken any concrete steps on this matter.

It was in this context that the foreign ministers of 12 countries gathered in Riyadh; however, the topic was Iran’s retaliatory attacks against the Gulf countries.

We learned of this separate surprise meeting on the plane while returning from Abu Dhabi. When I saw the photograph given to us, I immediately understood, of course, that this was a very important meeting that would affect the future of the region.

Hakan Fidan’s Statements on the Alliance

It was highly noteworthy that the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Egypt, and Türkiye held a meeting in Riyadh—while missiles were passing overhead—to discuss a new alliance structure, and then announced it to the public. It was clear that a message was intended to be conveyed through this.

Naturally, when I met with Minister Hakan Fidan on the plane, this was the first question I asked.

Fidan spoke quite openly on this matter:

“As countries with a certain level of power in the region, we are in search of how we can combine our strengths to resolve problems.

In principle, we must see this: either we come together and learn to solve our own problems ourselves, or an external power will come and dictate solutions that serve its own interests, or it will do nothing and prevent anything from being done.

We need to learn to trust one another. We need to act together on certain issues. We need to be able to take a common stance.

Türkiye has extensive experience in bringing forward institutional and collective efforts in international relations. Countries such as Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Türkiye each have their own strong national stances and distinct capabilities.

All over the world, countries are in search of coming together at the regional level to demonstrate solidarity.”

A Major Power Could Emerge

These four countries also possess relationships capable of influencing many other states. In other words, when they form the main driving force behind the establishment of this alliance, many other Islamic countries will also join it. In fact, since the Gaza war, ideas about the unification of the Islamic world have been voiced many times by intellectuals, thinkers, scholars, and academics. These calls made in the public sphere, in a sense, show that the idea of an alliance also has a social foundation.

The logic of the alliance is as follows:

Islamic countries must solve their own problems themselves and must also handle their own defense. This has now reached a matter of survival. In this situation, a new security and defense alliance needs to be established.

Each country has different strengths, capacities, and capabilities. If these different strengths and capacities are brought together to form a greater power, both security and defense would be ensured, and it would also serve as a deterrent.

Since these four countries possess the strongest capacities in different fields among Islamic countries, their coming together at the outset creates a very significant motivation.

Israel’s Attempts to Undermine the Alliance

Since the new alliance structure to be established became known, Israel has been employing various methods and tactics to disrupt or sabotage this process.

While messages are being conveyed to certain states, concepts and definitions aimed at discrediting the alliance are being disseminated to the public.

Through former Israeli prime ministers, writers, and the media in the United States, the number of publications describing this alliance as a “radical Islamist alliance,” a “radical Sunni alliance,” or “a new Iran–Türkiye axis” has increased. It is clear that Israel is disturbed by this alliance and has engaged in an intense effort to undermine it.

However, given that the countries have announced the four-party meeting to the press, it is understood that they have taken all risks into consideration and have found a path forward.

I hope they do not give up on this.