Turkish parliament ratifies defence pact with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia
- Turkish lawmakers approved the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement by 279 votes to 119.
- The pact commits the three countries to assist one another if any member comes under attack.
- A ruling-party lawmaker said the agreement was intended to prevent conflict and was aimed at no third country.
Turkiye’s parliament has ratified the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, approving a pact that commits the three countries to come to one another’s aid if any of them is attacked, Turkish state media reported.
Lawmakers approved the agreement by 279 votes to 119, according to the state-run Anadolu news agency. The three countries signed the pact in August.
Also Read:
During the parliamentary debate, Ziya Altunyaldiz, a lawmaker from Turkiye’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), said the agreement was intended to prevent conflicts and reduce the risk of escalation. He said it was directed against no third country.
The pact brings together Turkiye, which has NATO’s second-largest army, Pakistan, the only nuclear-armed Muslim-majority country, and Saudi Arabia, a leading Gulf power.
Saudi Arabia has faced repeated attacks by Yemen’s Houthis targeting cities, oil facilities and shipping since fighting in Yemen’s civil war intensified again in July.
