Defense officials have said Türkiye will first conclude legal requirements at the parliament and then will consider providing military support and deploy troops to Saudi Arabia for the kingdom’s defense against the increasing attacks from Yemen-based Houthi groups.
“Within the scope of the Mecca Defense Alliance, the process regarding the military forces and capabilities that can be provided by Türkiye to Saudi Arabia will be carried out in accordance with the provisions of our Constitution and relevant legislation,” said the Defense Ministry in a statement on Oct. 15.
The ministry’s statement followed President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s signaling that the government will submit the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement that paved the way for the creation of a defensive pact with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to parliament in the coming days.
“In this context, the agreement must be approved by the Turkish Parliament, and the necessary authorization processes regarding the deployment of the Turkish Armed Forces abroad must be completed,” the ministry said.
According to the article 92 of the Turkish constitution, the government needs to seek the authorization to send the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) from the parliament. A simple majority is sufficient to obtain the necessary approval.
The ministry also informed that the scope of the Turkish contribution will be determined in line with the needs and demands of Saudi Arabia, developments in the field and operational requirements.
Türkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, the members of the Mecca Pact, had discussed the recent escalation in the region following the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia’s critical infrastructure and ways to provide support to increase the defensive capacity of the country.
The ministry reiterated that Türkiye strongly condemns the attacks by Houthis that recently targeted an international airport in Riyadh which caused civilian casualties.
“These attacks, which target civilian infrastructure and innocent civilians and constitute a clear violation of international and humanitarian law, cause further escalation of tensions in the region and must come to an end as soon as possible,” it urged.
