Turkey ratifies tri-nation defense deal with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan
The Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, signed in August, now allows Ankara to dispatch troops to Riyadh as Houthi attacks continue.
By Aiko Soto ·
Turkey’s parliament ratified the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement on Thursday.
The pact links the military fortunes of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey. An attack on one member is treated as an attack on all three. The deal was signed by the three nations in August and sent to the Turkish legislature for approval in October.
A lawmaker from the ruling party told Reuters in October that Turkey would vote on a separate mandate. That mandate would permit the deployment of Turkish military personnel to Saudi Arabia under the agreement. This step follows recent attacks on the kingdom by Yemen’s Houthi militants, a group backed by Iran.
Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa is seeking to join the alliance. He met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh on Wednesday. This was their second meeting in one month. The two leaders signed a military cooperation agreement during that visit.
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani confirmed on Saturday that discussions are underway to evaluate Syria’s entry. He told Syrian state media that the pact aims to fill a vacuum left by the potential collapse of the Iranian regime. Al-Shaibani theorized that Qatar might also announce it is considering joining. He noted the alliance includes Sunni countries outside the Muslim Brotherhood.
