Turkiye’s parliament ratifies Mecca defence agreement
Turkey’s parliament ratified a defence agreement with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan on Thursday, committing the country to collective defence in case of an attack.
The ratification of the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement marks a significant step in Turkey’s military alignment with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. The accord, signed in August, was submitted to parliament for approval last month and passed with 279 votes in favour and 119 against, involving 398 of the chamber’s 592 lawmakers.
The agreement’s first article commits the signatories to using “all necessary means” to eliminate threats to one another’s territorial integrity. This provision can be invoked if any member state is subjected to an armed attack or military aggression, triggering immediate assistance from the other parties.
In the event one of the parties is subjected to an armed attack or military aggression by another country or group of countries, the parties shall immediately provide assistance to the party under attack, utilising the full range of mutual assistance measures available to them.
The pact’s key clause mirrors Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, which established the NATO military alliance. This parallel has raised questions about potential conflicts of interest for Turkey, a member of both NATO and the new pact, regarding the allocation of its military resources.
Critics have questioned whether Turkey’s government might face a conflict of interest in allocating its military resources given its membership in both NATO and the Mecca pact. Turkish officials, however, have dismissed such concerns as unfounded.
Beyond the collective defence clause, the agreement includes provisions for increased defence industry cooperation and military coordination. Member states are committed to conducting joint training, pursuing technological innovation, and sharing logistics and intelligence resources.
The draft approved by Turkish lawmakers commits member countries to the pact for 10 years, after which point they may withdraw. It also leaves open the possibility of other countries joining, with the approval of the pact’s existing members. Syria’s government has already expressed interest.
Despite Thursday’s parliamentary ratification, it is not a foregone conclusion that Turkish troops would be deployed to Saudi Arabia amid the ongoing Houthi attacks. Experts say any Turkish troop deployment would also require other legislative processes.
Turkiye’s Defence Minister Yasar Guler said in October that the scope of potential support for Saudi Arabia would be determined after ratification. “We absolutely do not foresee entering into any conflict with the Houthis,” Turkish media reported Guler as saying. Instead, Turkish support “would be to strengthen deterrence”.
Tensions between Saudi Arabia and Yemen had abated somewhat following a 2022 ceasefire. However, the Houthis have escalated their attacks on Saudi Arabia in recent months, notably launching a series of deadly strikes on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh.
The region also remains embroiled in the US-Israel war on Iran, which has contributed to cross-border tensions. On Thursday, Saudi Arabia announced it had intercepted a drone in the region of Medina. Riyadh has accused the Houthis several times of targeting Mecca and Medina, two holy cities in Islam, an accusation the Iran-backed group systematically rejects.
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