Türkiye’s parliament ratified a defence pact with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan on Thursday, as Ankara weighs possible military support for Riyadh amid attacks by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
The agreement passed by 279 votes to 119, with 398 lawmakers voting in the 592-seat parliament, where President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling alliance holds a majority.
Opposition parties, including the Yeni Party and the pro-Kurdish DEM Party, opposed the bill, warning that it could draw Türkiye into regional conflicts and impose unclear military obligations without sufficient parliamentary oversight.
Under the pact, signed on August 7, an armed attack on one member is considered an attack on all three.
Ratification removes an obstacle to a possible Turkish deployment in Saudi Arabia, although any support is likely to be limited to training, advice and military equipment rather than a large troop contingent.
Defence Minister Yasar Guler said on October 23 that the scope of any support for Saudi Arabia would be determined after ratification.
