Why Egypt held back from joining Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan's defence pact

When Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan travelled to Mecca on Friday to sign a security pact with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, Turkish officials chose to keep the trip secret.

The visit did not appear on Erdogan's official schedule. Instead, the three countries decided abruptly on Tuesday that the signing ceremony would take place on Friday.

People familiar with the matter told Middle East Eye that senior Turkish officials feared that publicising Erdogan's schedule would give unwanted powers an opportunity to disrupt the agreement.

Their concerns were understandable.

Read more: Why Egypt held back from joining Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan's defence pact