Turkiye Ratifies Landmark Defence Pact with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, Mirroring NATO's Collective Security Clause

Turkiye's parliament has officially ratified a significant defence agreement with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, which includes a collective defence clause. This pact obligates NATO’s second-largest military to provide aid to the member states in the event of an attack. The ratification occurred on Thursday, amidst ongoing attacks by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis against Saudi Arabia. The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement was initially signed by Turkiye in August and subsequently submitted to parliament for approval last month. Article 1 of the bill endorsing the pact was adopted by the Turkish parliament on Wednesday. Following this, Deputy Parliament Speaker Celal Adan adjourned the session until Thursday afternoon, as reported by the Anadolu news agency. Upon reconvening, lawmakers continued their deliberations on the remaining articles of the pact. The agreement was ultimately passed with 279 votes in favour and 119 against, with 398 out of the chamber’s 592 lawmakers participating in the vote. According to a document submitted to the Turkish parliament and reviewed by Reuters, the pact comprises 16 articles. Article 1 of the accord stipulates that signatories will employ “all necessary means” to counter threats to each other’s territorial integrity. This article can be invoked if any member state faces an attack. The document further outlines the subsequent actions to be taken once Article 1 is invoked. Article 2 states, “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.” This crucial clause bears a strong resemblance to Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, the foundational document of the NATO military alliance, which establishes that an attack on one member is considered an attack on all. Concerns have been raised by critics regarding potential conflicts of interest for Turkiye, a member of both NATO and the Mecca pact, in allocating its military resources. However, Turkish officials have refuted these concerns, deeming them unfounded. Additional articles within the Mecca pact focus on enhancing defence industry cooperation and military coordination among member states to deter potential threats. These provisions include commitments to joint training exercises, fostering technological innovation, and sharing logistics and intelligence resources. The draft approved by Turkish lawmakers binds member countries to the pact for a period of 10 years, with the option for withdrawal thereafter. The agreement also allows for the potential accession of other countries, subject to the approval of the existing members. The Syrian government has already indicated its interest in joining. Despite the parliamentary ratification on Thursday, the deployment of Turkish troops to Saudi Arabia in response to Houthi attacks is not guaranteed and would likely necessitate further legislative processes, according to experts. In October, Turkiye’s Defence Minister Yasar Guler stated that the extent of potential support for Saudi Arabia would be determined post-ratification. Turkish media reported Guler as saying, “We absolutely do not foresee entering into any conflict with the Houthis.” Instead, he indicated that Turkish support would aim “to strengthen deterrence.” Tensions between Saudi Arabia and Yemen had seen some de-escalation following a 2022 ceasefire. However, the Houthis have recently intensified their attacks on Saudi Arabia, including notable strikes on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. The region remains affected by the US-Israel war on Iran, which has exacerbated cross-border tensions. On Thursday, Saudi Arabia reported intercepting a drone in the Medina region. Riyadh has repeatedly accused the Houthis of targeting Mecca and Medina, two of Islam’s holiest cities, an accusation consistently denied by the Iran-backed group.