# Syria Says It Is Negotiating to Join the Saudi-Turkey-Pakistan 'Mecca Alliance,' Which Breitbart Says Has Not Answered Houthi Attacks

Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani spoke at Bahrain's Manama Dialogue. He pointed to Syria's close ties with Turkey, but gave no sign of sending troops to Yemen and spent more time on Israeli strikes.

- Section: [World](https://rightnewsrightnow.com/world/)
- Published: 2026-11-02
- By: RightNewsRightNow Staff
- Canonical page: https://rightnewsrightnow.com/articles/syria-considers-joining-mecca-alliance-saudi-turkey-pakistan-shaibani-manama-dialogue-houthis-breitbart/

Syria's foreign minister said Saturday that his government is considering joining the Mecca Alliance, the mutual-defense pact Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan created in August, according to Breitbart.

What he said. Asaad al-Shaibani told the Manama Dialogue, a regional security conference in Bahrain, that "there are some negotiations on this issue and regardless of whether it is in the pact or not, or any other pact, Syria is part of the security of this region." He called Syria's relationship with Turkey "very special" and said it could help pave the way. "Geography is destiny, and integration is a choice," he said.

The pact. The Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, signed in Mecca on Aug. 7, 2026, commits the three states to treat an attack on any one as an attack on all, a NATO-like arrangement in Breitbart's description. Turkey strongly backs the government that took power in Damascus in December 2024 after Bashar Assad was overthrown.

The test. Breitbart says Iran-backed Houthi forces have attacked Saudi oil refineries and airports almost daily for months, including reported threats to Mecca itself, and that Turkey and Pakistan have taken no substantive action. Turkish officials say their parliament has not ratified the agreement and have indicated they would not conduct offensive operations against the Houthis even after ratification. In early October, Syria denied reports that Saudi Arabia asked it to send ground forces into Yemen.

What he did not say. Shaibani voiced support for Saudi Arabia and Yemen's legitimate government but did not signal ground troops. Breitbart notes he spent more time criticizing Israeli airstrikes in Syria than Houthi attacks on Saudi cities, asking how calls for state control of weapons can be justified "while Syrian sovereignty is violated and targeted on a daily basis."

What to keep in mind. The quotes are from Shaibani's conference remarks as reported by Breitbart, The National and Al Jazeera. Whether the alliance has "failed" the Houthi test is Breitbart's assessment.

## Source

Original reporting: [Breitbart](https://www.breitbart.com/middle-east/2026/11/02/syria-considers-joining-saudi-arabias-mecca-alliance/)