The bill approving the Mecca Agreement for Joint Defense between the Republic of Türkiye, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was approved by the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye, which convened under the chairmanship of Fuat Oktay, a Justice and Development Party deputy from Ankara.
Deputy Foreign Minister Levent Gümrükçü, who presented the agreement to the committee, said, "The Mecca Agreement, which is entirely defense-oriented, does not target any country." Gümrükçü said the agreement was expected to complement platforms related to European security, particularly NATO, and noted that Saudi Arabia and Pakistan had completed their domestic approval processes. In response to a question about whether Türkiye would become involved in the war in Yemen, he said that no troops were currently deployed there.
Under the 16-article agreement, an armed attack against one party will be considered an attack against all, and the country attacked will receive support, including military capabilities, within the framework of the right to self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter. The agreement also provides for cooperation in the defense industry, joint training and exercises, and joint efforts to combat terrorism. The parties will not be able to withdraw from the agreement during its first 10 years.
The agreement was signed in Mecca on August 7, 2026, by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The bill is expected to be debated by the General Assembly of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye next week.
