Turkiye offers possible Saudi military support under Mecca defence pact
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Turkiye could meet Saudi military needs, but no deployment or pact activation has been announced.
By Lucas Ferreira · Science & Environment Writer
2 min read
Turkiye said it could provide Saudi military support if Riyadh has needs arising from Houthi attacks, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told Turkish broadcaster NTV. His remarks signal political backing under a three-country defence arrangement, while leaving open whether Saudi Arabia will request assistance or what form it could take.
Fidan said Turkiye saw serious attacks on Saudi sovereignty and territorial integrity and stood in solidarity with the kingdom, according to a Reuters report published by Geo News on September 20. He said Saudi Arabia might need military help, especially on technical matters, and that Ankara would be ready to meet those needs.
The comments did not announce a Turkish troop deployment, weapons transfer, Saudi request for forces or a decision to activate the alliance's collective-defence mechanism. Al Jazeera reported September 19 that Fidan said Turkiye would consider how to assist under the pact.
What does the Mecca Defence Alliance require?
The agreement links Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan. It was signed in Mecca on August 7 by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Al Jazeera reported.
Officials later called it the Mecca Defence Alliance and agreed to establish a secretariat in Riyadh, initially led by a Pakistani secretary-general, according to Al Jazeera. Its stated principle is that an armed attack on one member should be regarded as an attack on all three.
That commitment does not set out an automatic military response in the reporting available. Al Jazeera said the alliance did not yet have an integrated command structure or standing forces, and that the process for invoking its mutual-defence clause remained unclear. Türkiye Today also reported that member states were still holding technical discussions on matters including the alliance's headquarters and staffing.
What Fidan said about the fighting
Fidan said Saudi Arabia should not be pulled into the US-Iran war because, in his view, Riyadh did not want to join it, Al Jazeera reported. He also said proposals to end the fighting had been put to all sides, without giving details.
Reporting from Al Jazeera and Reuters describes an escalating exchange of attacks between Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Houthis. Turkiye has condemned Houthi attacks and called for them to stop, Reuters reported.
Pakistan has voiced support for Saudi Arabia under the same agreement, but its Foreign Office said no military response was then being discussed, according to Al Jazeera and Reuters. The distinction is significant: the pact sets out a shared defence principle, while decisions on practical assistance remain unresolved.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.