Turkiye plans mandate to send military personnel to Saudi Arabia

ANKARA: Turkiye will submit to parliament a mandate allowing for military personnel to be deployed to Saudi Arabia under its joint defence pact with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, a lawmaker from the ruling AK Party told Reuters on Wednesday.

In August, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey signed the “Makkah Joint Defence Agreement”, aimed at strengthening collective security, enhancing defence cooperation and promoting peace and stability across the region.

The agreement was signed during the Makkah Al-Mukarramah Summit for Joint Defence, held at Al-Safa Palace in Makkah under the patronage of Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, and in the presence of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The lawmaker, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the mandate would be sent to parliament once a bill ratifying the accord has been approved.

Turkey submitted the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement — signed by the three countries in August — to parliament for ratification on Tuesday, moving NATO’s second-largest army closer to a formal mutual defence pledge with Riyadh as it faces Houthi attacks.

The AKP lawmaker said that no Turkish troops deployed to other countries under the pact would take part in offensive operations, adding that technical personnel and experts would be sent initially to help with air defences, electronic warfare technologies, and other defensive support.

Earlier, two officials had told Reuters that Turkiye’s 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.

Turkiye, which has condemned the Houthi attacks, has also agreed to join a Saudi-led coalition to ensure navigational safety in the Red Sea.

Earlier last week, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty, security and territorial integrity amid escalating Houthi attacks on the kingdom, including strikes targeting its airports and oil infrastructure.

The prime minister made the remarks during a meeting with newly appointed Saudi Ambassador Dr Rajeh Tami Albugamy, who called on him in Islamabad, according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office.

Earlier, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lt-Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and the protection of the Haramain Sharifain, warning that any military attack on a member of the Makkah agreement would trigger a collective response.