Turkey sent its defense pact with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan to parliament for approval, starting the ratification process as Ankara assesses what military support the kingdom may need.
A notice from Turkey’s Grand National Assembly on Oct. 20 recorded the submission. The three countries’ leaders signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement in Makkah on Aug. 7.
The Aug. 7 joint statement says an armed attack on any one of the three states would be regarded as an attack on all three and identifies collective deterrence as the pact’s purpose. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said the agreement targets no country.
At an emergency meeting in Riyadh on Oct. 5, the governments agreed to prepare military forces and capabilities for possible swift deployment in Saudi Arabia. Any action would be subject to each country’s laws, and the joint statement did not specify individual contributions. It also condemned attacks on Saudi cities and civilian and economic facilities.
Turkey’s Defense Ministry said Oct. 15 that the pact requires parliamentary approval and that a separate authorization is needed before Turkish forces can be sent abroad. It said any contribution would depend on Saudi Arabia’s needs, conditions on the ground and agreement among the three governments. Article 90 of Turkey’s Constitution requires a law approving treaty ratification.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Oct. 8 that military officials were assessing defensive options against attacks from Yemen, including air defense and electronic warfare.
Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, director general of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), told Independent Arabia in an interview aired Oct. 18 that Pakistan was supporting Saudi Arabia but did not specify the form or scale of that support. EconoTimes previously reported on Pakistan’s stated support for Saudi Arabia.
Parliamentary review is the next step toward ratification. Any Turkish deployment would also require separate authorization.
