The Turkish Parliament's General Assembly approved the first article of a bill providing for the ratification of the "Makkah Agreement for Joint Defense," signed by Türkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. The three-article bill will continue to be debated during the General Assembly session scheduled to begin today at 2 p.m.
The agreement was signed in Makkah on August 7, 2026, by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The bill had been approved during committee deliberations at the Turkish Parliament on October 27 before reaching the General Assembly.
An attack on one will be considered an attack on all
Under the 16-article agreement, an external armed attack against one party will be considered an attack against all parties. The form of support to be provided to the party under attack will be determined through consultations among the parties; the agreement does not establish an automatic military intervention mechanism.
The agreement covers cooperation in combating terrorism, joint training and exercises, the defense industry, intelligence sharing and logistics. It also plans to establish a committee comprising the three countries' defense ministers and chiefs of general staff. Withdrawal from the agreement will not be possible during its first 10 years; thereafter, the parties may withdraw by providing written notice three months in advance.
Authority to deploy troops remains with Parliament
Fuat Oktay of the Justice and Development Party emphasized during the debates that the agreement did not mean troops would be deployed automatically and that, under Article 92 of the Constitution, the Turkish Parliament would still decide on sending the Turkish Armed Forces abroad.
National Defense Minister Yaşar Güler also said the agreement would serve as a deterrent against possible Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia. Güler stated that Türkiye had no plans to enter into a conflict with the Houthis. The Nationalist Movement Party announced its support for the bill, while opposition parties raised questions in the General Assembly about the agreement's scope and the obligations it would impose on Türkiye.
A trilateral framework for regional security
Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed a bilateral strategic mutual defense agreement in September 2025. The Makkah Agreement created a trilateral defense framework by bringing Türkiye into this cooperation. Türkiye and Pakistan have maintained close, longstanding cooperation in the defense industry and military training, while defense contacts between Ankara and Riyadh have also increased significantly in recent years.
Once the bill is approved in its entirety and enacted, the President will be authorized to ratify the agreement.
Photo: Anadolu Agency
