Turkey's Parliament Ratifies Mecca Defence Pact With Saudi and Pakistan

Turkiye's parliament has ratified a landmark defence agreement with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, voting 279 to 119 among the 398 lawmakers who took part. The sixteen-article Mecca pact includes a collective defence clause modelled on NATO's Article 5, binding members to treat an attack on one as an attack on all.

Ankara, itself a NATO member, signed the deal in Mecca on August 7 and sent it to parliament in October. Members commit for ten years before they may withdraw, and new members need existing approval, with Syria already expressing interest. Experts say any deployment of troops would still require further legislation.

The vote comes as the Houthis escalate attacks on Saudi Arabia, including deadly strikes near Riyadh's King Khalid airport, and Riyadh said it intercepted a drone near Medina on Thursday. Defence Minister Yasar Guler said Turkiye does not expect to fight the Houthis and wants to strengthen deterrence in the region.