Greetings from Ankara.

Welcome to AL-MONITOR Turkey, where we wrap up the leading stories of the week. 

This week, Turkey has ramped up regional diplomacy following the Saudi Arabia-Turkey-Pakistan trilateral defense pact, as Ankara sought to bring Egypt into the fold.

Wishing you a great weekend 🌞

Ezgi (Follow me on X: @ezgi_akin)

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Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan attends a press conference in Moscow on June 16, 2026. — SERGEI ILNITSKY / AFP via Getty Images

Turkey has stepped up efforts this week to involve Egypt in the newly signed Saudi-Turkey-Pakistan defense pact as Ankara seeks to broaden the emerging regional security framework and keep Cairo engaged.

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan traveled to Egypt on Thursday for a two-day visit, where talks included discussions over Cairo’s potential participation in the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement signed by Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan last week. Under the mutual defense pact, an attack on one member would be regarded as an attack on all.

In Egypt, Fidan voiced Ankara’s preference openly, saying, “We hope Egypt will be our formal partner.”

Egyptian Foreign........

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