Turkish Parliament Officially Ratifies Mecca Joint Defence Agreement Involving Saudi Arabia and Pakistan; Paves the Way for Ankara to Provide Military Support to Riyadh
RIYADH: Turkey’s Grand National Assembly has officially approved the trilateral agreement on joint defence in Mecca, which involves Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. The historic defense deal, which was last month sent to parliament for review and approval, is under the spotlight. Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Fuat Oktay of the Turkish Parliament confirmed the ratification in Turkish state media reports, saying the military pact was meant for defensive purposes and has no targeting of any foreign country.
Following the ratification, the agreement paves the way for the Turkish Parliament to formally provide Ankara with military support, especially in the wake of security pressures and threats faced by the Saudi state in Yemen from Houthis who are attacking Saudi infrastructure.
Collective Defense Clause: This agreement will be enforced after the approval of the Turkish lawmakers; it says that an attack on one member party will be viewed as an attack on all signatories. The pact won 279 votes in the 600-seat Parliament, with 119 votes against it. Historical Background: The defense deal was initially inked on August 7 in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Pakistan Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif.
Institutional arrangements and leadership: strengthen collective security, defense cooperation and regional stability. The two meetings of member countries’ ministers were held in Istanbul and Riyadh, and the alliance’s permanent secretariat will be based in Saudi Arabia. Notably, retired Pakistani General Nauman Mahmood has been appointed as its first Secretary-General, who will be on the job for three years.