Türkiye’s parliament ratified the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement on Thursday 5 November 2026, voting 279 in favour and 119 against. A total of 398 of the chamber’s 592 lawmakers took part in the vote.
The pact was signed on 7 August 2026 in Mecca by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
It has 16 articles. Under Article 2, an armed attack on one member is treated as an attack on all, and the parties must immediately provide assistance. The provision mirrors NATO’s Article 5.
The pact commits members for 10 years, after which they may withdraw. Other countries may join with the existing members’ approval; Syria has already expressed interest.
Ratification comes as Riyadh faces attacks by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis. Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Guler said in October that Turkish support would be to strengthen deterrence, and that Türkiye does not foresee entering into conflict with the Houthis.
Ratification does not automatically mean Turkish troops will be deployed to Saudi Arabia; any deployment would need further legislative approval.
On Thursday, Saudi Arabia said it had intercepted a drone in the region of Medina. Riyadh has accused the Houthis of targeting Mecca and Medina, which the group rejects.
Source: Al Jazeera
