Turkey Submits Mecca Defense Pact with Pakistan, Saudi Arabia to Parliament
According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, Turkey has submitted a joint defense agreement with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to its parliament for approval, as reported by three parliamentary sources on Tuesday, citing Mehr News Agency, quoting Reuters.
The tripartite pact, known as the Mecca Defense Agreement, was signed by the three nations in August. The core tenet of the agreement states that an armed attack against any of the signatories will be considered an attack against all. However, the joint statement issued at the time of signing did not specify the precise commitments of each nation.
During an emergency session of this alliance held in Riyadh earlier this month, members agreed to ensure the swift deployment of military forces and capabilities within Saudi Arabia. Turkey, possessing a robust defense industry, has expressed its readiness to assist Riyadh in meeting its technological military requirements. Ankara has also consented to join a Saudi-led coalition aimed at safeguarding shipping security in the Red Sea.
Parliamentary approval is a requisite step for Turkey to officially endorse the agreement. Numan Kurtulmuş, the Speaker of the Turkish Parliament, who is currently in Kyrgyzstan, is expected to refer the agreement to the parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee upon his return. According to one of the sources, this committee may commence its review of the pact as early as Friday. Details regarding the provisions of the agreement are anticipated to be released after its referral to the committee.
A Turkish official, who requested anonymity, indicated that Ankara’s involvement is primarily expected to be confined to the provision of military equipment, intelligence sharing, and weapons systems. The official added that no other deployments have taken place within the framework of this coalition to date.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan emphasized that the Mecca Agreement does not possess an offensive nature and that Ankara will not dispatch forces to conduct attacks on the territory of another country.
