Turkey's parliament backs mutual defence pact with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia
Turkey's parliament ratified the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement on Thursday 5 Nov, with 279 votes in favour and 119 against, out of 398 of 592 members voting. The pact links Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, and treats an attack on one party as an attack on all. The three countries signed it in Makkah on 7 Aug. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia completed ratification last month, according to Pakistan's Foreign Office. A ruling party lawmaker said Turkey would submit a further mandate to allow military personnel to be deployed to Saudi Arabia.
Key facts
- The pact provides for collective assistance if any member faces external armed aggression.
- An AK Party lawmaker said the pact's main aim is to prevent conflicts rather than escalate them.
- Opposition lawmaker Mehmet Guzelmansur said clear rules are needed to avoid conflicts with Turkiye's other international obligations.
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Why it matters
The pact creates collective defence obligations among three countries and could extend Turkish military deployments to Saudi Arabia.
What changed
First published from The Straits Times, Al-Monitor, Anadolu Agency, The Jerusalem Post and Middle East Eye