Turkey has presented its defense agreement with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to the parliament of this country. This move brings it closer to NATO, its second largest army, and seems to be a response to the threats from the Houthis.
Details of the defense agreement
The first article of this agreement stipulates that the parties must use "all necessary means" to eliminate threats to their territorial integrity, sovereignty, or international borders. Specifically, the second article of the agreement states: "In the event of an armed attack or military aggression against one of the parties by a country or group of countries, the parties will immediately assist the attacked party and will use all available resources for assistance." This clause refers to Article 51 of the UN Charter, which covers the individual or collective right of member states to defend themselves against armed attack.
Military cooperation and capability development
The parties will agree to objectively determine the scope and type of assistance provided after assessing its needs and to cooperate in various fields, including military capabilities and resources. In an emergency coalition meeting in Riyadh earlier this month, the three countries agreed to ensure the "rapid deployment" of military forces and capabilities in Saudi Arabia.
This agreement also includes close cooperation in the defense industry, information exchange, logistical support, and combating "all forms of terrorism." Parliamentary approval is essential for Turkey for this agreement to be officially confirmed.
The Speaker of the Turkish Parliament, Numan Kurtulmuş, who is currently on a trip to Kyrgyzstan, will refer the agreement to the Foreign Affairs Committee of the parliament upon his return. The contents and details of this agreement will be made public as soon as it is referred to the committee.
The committee may discuss the agreement soon, even as early as Friday. The Director of Communications for the President of Turkey, Burhaneddin Duran, announced that Turkey's recent step is a significant milestone towards institutionalizing strategic cooperation among these three countries.
A Turkish official, who requested anonymity, stated that Turkey's contribution is expected to be limited to military equipment, information exchange, and weapon systems, adding that no other deployment has taken place under this coalition so far.
Turkey's Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan, in response to the question of how Turkey can assist Saudi Arabia in defending against Houthi attacks from Yemen, stated that the Mecca agreement is not an "aggressive agreement" and added that Turkey will not send forces to another country to carry out attacks on its territory.
The Turkish Constitution separately requires parliamentary approval for the deployment of military forces abroad, regardless of any international agreements.
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