Istanbul Hosts First Meeting of 'Makkah Alliance' Between Ankara, Riyadh, and Islamabad

The first ministerial meeting of the newly formed regional defense bloc between Ankara, Riyadh, and Islamabad will be held in the Turkish city of Istanbul on Monday, according to Turkish sources on Sunday. The agreement brings together Turkey, home to the second-largest army in NATO, Pakistan, the only nuclear-armed Muslim nation, and Saudi Arabia, the leading Gulf power.