Pakistan, Turkiye and Saudi Arabia’s Makkah defence pact gets ratified by Turkish parliament

ANKARA/ISLAMABAD: Turkiye’s parliament has ratified a trilateral defence agreement with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, paving the way for Ankara to provide military support to Riyadh amid attacks by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militants.

The agreement, known as the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement (MJDA), was signed by the three countries in August and submitted to parliament for approval last month. It stipulates that an attack on any one of the signatories will be treated as an attack on all three.

A Turkish ruling party lawmaker told Reuters last month that Ankara also planned to seek parliamentary authorisation for the deployment of military personnel to Saudi Arabia under the agreement.

Deployment of rapid forces

Earlier in October, Pakistan and Turkiye agreed to ensure the rapid deployment of military forces and capabilities in Saudi Arabia under MJDA, following an emergency meeting of the alliance’s Strategic-Political and Defence Committee (SPDC) in Riyadh. The decision, announced in a joint statement by Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on October 5, was aimed at putting the three countries’ collective defence commitments into practice amid security threats facing the kingdom.

The committee directed that the agreed forces and capabilities be deployed in Saudi Arabia in line with approved arrangements and the national laws of all three member states. The move was intended to improve military readiness, integration and the collective ability of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye to respond to threats.

The meeting also endorsed the nomination of retired Lieutenant General Nauman Mahmood, Hilal-e-Imtiaz (Military), as the alliance’s first secretary-general. The three countries welcomed his appointment and expressed confidence that he would help advance the alliance’s objectives.

The participants discussed regional developments and reaffirmed their commitment to cooperation for regional peace and stability. Pakistan reiterated its “unwavering solidarity” with Saudi Arabia and support for the kingdom’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and security.

The committee also condemned what the joint statement described as attempted targeting of Makkah and Madina, as well as continued attacks on Saudi cities and civilian and economic facilities. The three countries rejected any attack or threat against the kingdom and praised the vigilance and readiness of the Saudi Armed Forces in responding to security threats.

The statement stressed that the security of each member state was an integral part of the collective security of all three. It said implementing the agreement through practical measures would strengthen deterrence, demonstrate the credibility of their mutual defence commitment and reinforce their resolve to protect their sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The emergency meeting in Riyadh had taken place a day after the leader of Yemen’s government announced a military offensive to seize territory controlled by the Houthis.