How Israel's rivalry, defense deals prompted Turkey to join Mecca pact

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ANKARA — Growing rivalry with Israel and mounting regional volatility, sharpened by the Iran-US war and wider conflicts across the Middle East, have pushed Turkey toward a deeper strategic alignment with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. But the new three-way defense pact also carries risks for Ankara, including the possibility of becoming entangled in crises involving its partners and concerns that the arrangement could harden perceptions of an emerging regional bloc and complicate Turkey’s NATO commitments.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Saudi Crown Prince and........

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