By Huseyin Hayatsever, Nevzat Devranoglu and Ece Toksabay
ANKARA, Oct 20 (Reuters) – Turkey has submitted a defence pact with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to parliament for ratification, three parliamentary sources said on Tuesday, moving NATO’s second-largest army closer to a formal mutual defence pledge with Riyadh as it faces Houthi attacks.
The three countries signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement in August, under which an armed attack on one member is considered an attack on all.
The agreement’s first article says the parties shall use “all necessary means” to eliminate threats to one another’s territorial integrity, sovereignty or internationally recognised borders, according to a text seen by Reuters.
“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,” Article 2 of the agreement says.
The provision, similar to NATO’s Article 5, refers to Article 51 of the UN Charter, which covers the individual or collective right of states to self-defence against armed attack.
The three countries “will decide on the scope and nature of the support to be provided following an objective assessment of the assistance required” and will cooperate within their available resources, including military capabilities and resources, the same article says.
At an emergency meeting of the alliance in Riyadh earlier this month, the three countries agreed to ensure the “rapid deployment” of military forces and capabilities in Saudi Arabia.
Turkey, which has a robust defence industry, has condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, expressed willingness to help meet Riyadh’s military technology needs and agreed to join a Saudi-led coalition to ensure navigational safety in the Red Sea.
The agreement also envisages close cooperation on defence industry, intelligence sharing, logistical support and the fight against “all means of terrorism,” including at the operational level.
Parliamentary ratification is required for Turkey to formally approve the agreement.
AIM TO “STRENGTHEN COLLECTIVE DETERRENCE”
Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus, currently visiting Kyrgyzstan, will refer the agreement to parliament’s foreign affairs commission upon his return, two of the sources said. The contents and details of the agreement are expected to become public once it is submitted to the commission.
The commission could debate the agreement as early as Friday, another source said.
President Tayyip Erdogan’s communications director, Burhanettin Duran, said that Turkey’s recent step marked an important milestone towards the institutionalisation of strategic cooperation between the three nations.
“This strategic partnership developed between our countries aims to strengthen collective deterrence, enhance joint capabilities in the defence sector, and safeguard security and stability in our region,” Duran said in a post on X.
A Turkish official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said Turkey’s own contribution was expected to be limited to military equipment, intelligence sharing and weapons systems, adding that no other form of deployment had taken place under the alliance so far.
Asked how Turkey could help Saudi Arabia defend against attacks by Yemen’s Houthis, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that the Mecca Agreement was not an “offensive agreement,” adding that Turkey would not send troops to another country to carry out attacks on its territory.
Turkey’s constitution requires separate permission from parliament to deploy troops abroad regardless of any international agreement.
(Reporting by Huseyin Hayatsever, Ece Toksabay and Nevzat Devranoglu; Editing by Xevi Fontdegloria and Daren Butler)
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