Turkey and Pakistan agreed on Monday to prepare military forces and other military support for rapid deployment to Saudi Arabia following an emergency meeting in Riyadh. This agreement comes as Houthi attacks against the kingdom continue and the conflict in Yemen escalates.
Emergency Meeting in Riyadh
During this emergency meeting, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan, Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman, and Army Commander Fayyad bin Hamid Al-Ruwaili hosted their counterparts from Turkey and Pakistan. Additionally, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also met with the delegations present at the meeting.
This meeting is part of the Makkah defense agreement signed between the three countries in August. Under this agreement, the countries committed to consider any armed attack against one member as an attack against all members. Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar described these discussions as an "emergency meeting" focused on Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia.
Military Dimensions and Implications
The agreement to send troops and military capabilities to Saudi Arabia is approved amid ongoing Houthi attacks on the country, raising concerns about Saudi national security and regional stability. According to the issued statement, Pakistan and Turkey will continue to take "necessary actions" to secure the agreed forces and military capabilities and ensure their rapid deployment to Saudi Arabia.
Specific details about the forces or military capabilities to be deployed, along with the number of personnel and timing of deployment, have not been specified in this statement. However, it is expected that the Turkish parliament will approve this agreement later this month.
Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia have intensified in recent days. The Houthi group recently announced that it targeted an Aramco facility in Riyadh with ballistic missiles and drones. Meanwhile, clashes between the Houthis and Saudi-backed Yemeni forces have also escalated, particularly following a major assault by the Yemeni government against this group on Sunday.
New agreements between Turkey and Pakistan regarding troop deployment could serve as a test for the Makkah agreement, especially as security threats in the Gulf and surrounding areas are on the rise. Given the implications of these developments on global energy supply, this issue is likely to attract significant attention.
Finally, the three countries also agreed to appoint retired Pakistani General Nauman Mahmood as the first Secretary-General of the cooperation mechanism established under this agreement. This mechanism will be based in Riyadh and is expected to commence its activities soon.
