Turkey’s parliament is set on Wednesday, 4 November 2026, to ratify a defence pact with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan that would commit NATO’s second-largest army to the defence of Riyadh as it faces attacks by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis.
The agreement, known as the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, was signed by the three countries in August and submitted to Turkey’s parliament for ratification last month. Its central clause mirrors NATO’s Article 5, treating an attack on one member as an attack on all. The parties also plan to strengthen defence industry cooperation and military coordination and to build deterrence against threats.
Ratification would give Ankara a formal mutual defence obligation toward Saudi Arabia. It would not, on its own, send Turkish forces to the country: deploying military personnel would require a separate parliamentary mandate.
Officials told Reuters last month that Turkey’s contribution was expected to be limited to military equipment, intelligence sharing and weapons systems. Defence Minister Yasar Guler has said Turkey did not see its troops engaging in combat or offensive operations against the Houthis.
The pact was signed before the Houthis launched attacks against Saudi Arabia, and Wednesday’s vote comes as Houthi attacks on Riyadh step up and as Tehran and Washington remain far from a deal to end their war.
Source: Reuters
