Turkey weighs defence support for Saudi Arabia, rules out offensive operations

• Ankara is assessing air defence, electronic warfare and technical support for Saudi Arabia.
• Hakan Fidan says the pact with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia covers collective defence, with no Turkish role in offensive operations.
• Turkey plans to submit the agreement to parliament soon, while initial assistance would largely be bilateral.

Turkey is evaluating military support to help Saudi Arabia defend against attacks by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi militants, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Thursday, ruling out the deployment of Turkish troops for offensive operations.

Speaking at a joint press conference in Ankara with Hungarian Foreign Minister Anita Orban, Fidan said military officials were examining potential contributions in air defence, electronic warfare and technical assistance. Military delegations would identify Saudi Arabia’s operational defence requirements and determine what Turkey and Pakistan could provide.

The discussions follow the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement signed by Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia in August. Under the pact, an armed attack against any member is treated as an attack against all three.

Fidan stressed that the agreement commits its members to helping a country defend itself when attacked. It does not provide for Turkish forces to enter another country to conduct attacks on its territory.

He said Yemen’s internationally recognised government forces were already conducting ground operations with Saudi support, while Turkey’s potential contribution would focus on defending Saudi Arabia.

The three signatories have held political and military consultations following the Houthi attacks. On Monday, they announced an agreement to begin implementing their collective defence commitments immediately and arrange the rapid deployment of military forces and capabilities to Saudi Arabia.

Two officials told Reuters on Wednesday that Turkey was sending mainly defensive and technical support to assist Saudi Arabia against the Houthis.

Turkish officials have said assistance at this stage would largely be provided through bilateral arrangements because parliament has yet to ratify the three-country defence pact.

Fidan said preparations to submit the agreement for parliamentary approval were largely complete, with the government aiming to send it to lawmakers as soon as possible.

Turkey, which has NATO’s second-largest army and a substantial defence industry, has condemned the Houthi attacks and expressed readiness to help meet Saudi Arabia’s technical military needs. Ankara has also agreed to join a Saudi-led coalition aimed at ensuring the safety of navigation in the Red Sea.