Turkish parliament ratifies Mecca defense agreement — Jerusalem Post

Turkey’s parliament has ratified the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement concluded between Ankara, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. The document opens the possibility for Turkey to provide military support to Saudi Arabia amid attacks by Yemen’s Houthis on the kingdom, the Jerusalem Post reports.

Principle of collective defense

The three regional powers signed the agreement in August, and last month it was submitted to the Turkish parliament for approval. It stipulates that an attack on one participant will be regarded as an attack on all parties to the treaty.

Last month, a lawmaker from the ruling party told Reuters that Turkey would also submit to parliament a mandate allowing Turkish military personnel to be deployed in Saudi Arabia under the agreement.

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Contacts between Saudi Arabia and Syria

Meanwhile, the defense ministries of Saudi Arabia and Syria signed a military cooperation agreement on Wednesday. According to the publication, this occurred during Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s visit to Riyadh, where he met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the second time in a month.

Details of the Saudi-Syrian military agreement were not disclosed. Reuters reported that Syria had considered the possibility of assisting Saudi Arabia in its war against the Houthis, whom the Jerusalem Post describes as backed by Iran. Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, according to Syrian state media, confirmed that discussions are ongoing about Syria’s possible accession to the Mecca alliance.