Welcome back to AL-MONITOR Turkey for a summary of the week’s big stories and what’s on our radar. We had a really bombshell week with the announcement of the Saudi-Pakistani-Turkish defense pact, which says that an attack on one is viewed as an attack on all. I was frankly more excited by the news that Egyptian football legend Mohamed Salah signed with Turkey’s Trabzonspor this week, leaving Liverpool behind.

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) welcomes Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (R) during an official ceremony at the Presidential Complex, Ankara, June 22, 2022. — ADEM ALTAN/AFP via Getty Images

Yeah, so big news on yet another Saudi-centered defense alliance, which some are calling the Sunni Pact.

It was signed in Mecca, where Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman apparently prayed together. It was a Friday at the Prophet Muhammad’s birthplace, after all.

I tried to explain here, based on convos with regional officials and experts, what the message, limits and opportunities of the agreement are. Turkey is a pretty big catch for the Saudis, with NATO’s second-largest army and a growing menu of weapons and other military kit that it produces........

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