Turkish Parliament to approve defence pact with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan

The Turkish Parliament is set to ratify a defence agreement with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan on Wednesday. The pact includes a collective defence clause under which Turkey, which possesses the second-largest army in NATO, will be committed to the defence of Riyadh, which is facing attacks from Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen.

According to a report by The Straits Times, this approval will create a formal mutual defence obligation for Ankara towards Saudi Arabia, but it will not automatically result in the deployment of Turkish forces there. A separate mandate from Parliament will be required for the deployment of military personnel.

The 'Mecca Joint Defence Agreement', signed by the three countries in August, was presented to Parliament for ratification last month. The key clause of this agreement is similar to NATO's Article 5, where an attack on one member is considered an attack on all. Under this understanding, the parties plan to increase cooperation in the defence industry and military coordination, as well as create a deterrent against threats.

This agreement was made before the Houthis attacked Saudi Arabia. According to a Reuters report, a senior Iranian official stated that an agreement to end the war between Tehran and Washington is still far off, while the Houthis have intensified attacks on Riyadh.

Officials told Reuters that Turkey's contribution to Saudi Arabia is expected to be primarily limited to military equipment, intelligence sharing, and weapon systems. According to an MP from Turkey's ruling party, Turkey will also present a mandate in Parliament that would allow the deployment of military personnel to Saudi Arabia under the agreement. However, officials clarified that the scope of assistance will be determined through collective consultation and according to Riyadh's requests.

Analysts believe that Turkey, through its strong defence industry, can assist Saudi Arabia with technical aid, combat expertise, air defence, and electronic warfare technology. Once the deployment mandate is passed by Parliament, it is expected that Turkish soldiers, advisors, and military personnel will be deployed to install and operate the systems sent by Ankara.

Defence analyst Arda Mevlutoglu told Reuters, "I believe the Mecca alliance could be one of the first case studies of the 'Defence as a Service' concept, where the supplier country provides not just equipment but a complete package of concept, service, training, logistics, and political support."

Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Guller has stated that Turkey does not envision its troops being involved in combat or offensive operations against the Houthis. Barin Kayaoğlu, a professor of international relations at Ankara Social Sciences University and a defence analyst, told Reuters that this agreement will establish a certain level of interoperability between partner countries as they use similar systems and share technology and expertise.