The Turkish parliament has officially ratified the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, a strategic defence pact established between Türkiye, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia. Approved by lawmakers early Friday, the agreement passed with a vote of 279 to 119 within the 600-seat legislative body. This ratification clears the path for Ankara to provide military support to Riyadh as the kingdom faces ongoing attacks from Yemen's Houthi militia.
Central to the agreement is the principle that an attack on any one of the three participating nations constitutes an attack on all. Fuat Oktay, Chairman of the Turkish Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, emphasized that the alliance is strictly defensive in nature and is not intended for offensive operations against other nations. Oktay further clarified that Türkiye would not be drawn into an uncontrolled process against its will, adding that any future deployment of Turkish troops would require additional parliamentary approval.
The pact was originally signed on August 7 in the Saudi city of Mecca by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The signatories pledged to deepen defence cooperation, strengthen collective security, and foster peace and stability in the region. According to the memorandum, the agreement remains open to other regional countries that respect international law, sovereign equality, territorial integrity, and the principle of non-interference in internal affairs.
The agreement establishes a permanent secretariat to be based in Saudi Arabia. Retired Pakistani General Nauman Mahmood has been appointed as the first secretary-general for a three-year term. The pact is binding for 10 years, with a requirement for a three-month notice period for any party wishing to withdraw. High-level delegations from the three nations have previously met in Istanbul and Riyadh, and held talks in Tehran last month aimed at preventing renewed fighting in the ongoing war in Iran.
