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Turkey is moving closer to deploying military personnel to Saudi Arabia under a joint defence agreement with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, as tensions escalate over Houthi attacks in the region.
The Turkish government has submitted the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, signed by the three countries in August, to parliament for ratification.
The agreement stipulates that an armed attack on any member will be treated as an attack on all three.
Following an emergency meeting in Riyadh on October 5, the three countries agreed to implement their collective defence commitments and take necessary measures to ensure the rapid deployment of agreed military forces and capabilities to Saudi Arabia.
Turkey is also preparing to seek parliamentary authorisation for deploying military personnel to the kingdom.
The initial deployment is expected to involve technical personnel and military specialists to assist with air defence systems, electronic warfare and other defensive capabilities.
Turkish officials have emphasised that any deployment would be defensive in nature and that Turkish troops would not take part in offensive operations against the Houthis in Yemen.
The move comes amid growing security concerns in Saudi Arabia following intensified Houthi attacks on the kingdom.
However, the scale and timing of Turkey’s potential military deployment remain unclear, as parliamentary approval and further arrangements are required.
