Turkey has submitted a defense pact with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to parliament for ratification, three parliamentary sources said on Tuesday, moving NATO's second-largest army closer to a formal mutual defense pledge with Riyadh as it faces Houthi attacks.
The three countries signed the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement in August, under which an armed attack on one member is considered an attack on all. A joint statement issued when they signed the deal did not specify each country's commitments.
At an emergency meeting of the alliance in Riyadh earlier this month, they agreed to ensure the "rapid deployment" of military forces and capabilities in Saudi Arabia.
Turkey, which has a robust defense industry, has condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, expressed willingness to help meet Riyadh's military technology needs and agreed to join a Saudi-led coalition to ensure navigational safety in the Red Sea.
Parliament must ratify the agreement for Turkey to formally approve it.
Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus, currently visiting Kyrgyzstan, will refer the agreement to parliament's foreign affairs commission upon his return, two of the sources said. The contents and details of the agreement are expected to become public once it is submitted to the commission.
The commission could debate the agreement as early as Friday, another source said.
Turkish contribution to be limited to equipment, intelligence, official says
A Turkish official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said Turkey's own contribution was expected to be limited to military equipment, intelligence sharing, and weapons systems, adding that no other form of deployment had taken place under the alliance so far.
Asked how Turkey could help Saudi Arabia defend against attacks by Yemen's Houthis, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement was not an "offensive agreement," adding that Turkey would not send troops to another country to carry out attacks on its territory.