ANKARA (Reuters) – Türkiye has submitted a defence pact with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to parliament for ratification, three parliamentary sources said on Tuesday, moving NATO’s second-largest army closer to a formal mutual defence pledge with Riyadh as it faces Houthi attacks.
The three countries signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement in August, under which an armed attack on one member is considered an attack on all.
The agreement’s first article says the parties shall use “all necessary means” to eliminate threats to one another’s territorial integrity, sovereignty or internationally recognised borders, according to a text seen by Reuters.
“In the event one of the parties is subjected to an armed attack or military aggression by another country or group of countries, the parties shall immediately provide assistance to the party under attack, utilising the full range of mutual assistance measures available to them,” Article 2 of the agreement says.
The provision, similar to NATO’s Article 5, refers to Article 51 of the UN Charter, which covers the individual or collective right of states to self-defence against armed attack.
The three countries “will decide on the scope and nature of the support to be provided following an objective assessment of the assistance required” and will cooperate within their available resources, including military capabilities and resources, the same article says.
At an emergency meeting of the alliance in Riyadh earlier this month, the three countries agreed to ensure the “rapid deployment” of military forces and capabilities in Saudi Arabia.
Türkiye, which has a robust defence industry, has condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, expressed willingness to help meet Riyadh’s military technology needs and agreed to join a Saudi-led coalition to ensure navigational safety in the Red Sea.
