Turkey submits pact with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to parliament — Cyprus Mail

Turkey has submitted to its parliament for ratification a defence pact concluded with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. Cyprus Mail reports, citing three parliamentary sources.

Joint defence agreement

The three countries signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement in August. It stipulates that an armed attack on one of the participants will be regarded as an attack on all. At the same time, the joint statement released after the document was signed did not specify the obligations of each party.

At an emergency meeting of the alliance in Riyadh earlier this month, the participants agreed to ensure the rapid deployment of military forces and assets in Saudi Arabia. Turkey condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, said it was ready to assist Riyadh with military technology needs, and also agreed to join a Saudi-led coalition to ensure the security of navigation in the Red Sea.

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Parliamentary consideration

Turkey requires parliamentary ratification for the formal approval of the agreement. After returning from a visit to Kyrgyzstan, parliamentary speaker Numan Kurtulmuş is expected to submit the document to the parliament's foreign affairs committee, two sources said. The details and content of the agreement are expected to become public after it is submitted to the committee. According to another source, the committee may consider the document as early as Friday.

A Turkish official speaking on condition of anonymity said that Turkey's contribution is expected to be limited to military equipment, intelligence sharing and weapons systems. He added that no other deployment within the alliance has taken place so far. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that the Mecca Agreement is not offensive in nature and that Turkey will not send troops to another country to conduct attacks on its territory.