Turkey and Pakistan will rapidly deploy troops to Saudi Arabia under a newly activated mutual defence pact, the three countries announced on Monday after an emergency meeting of their defence alliance in Riyadh.
Pact triggered after Houthi attacks
The decision was taken at an emergency meeting of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee of the Mecca alliance on October 5, where representatives of Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey noted recent attacks on the kingdom, including ones targeting the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. The announcement was made in a joint statement shared by Pakistan's foreign ministry.
The three countries said they would "move immediately to the practical implementation of the collective defence commitments" and take the measures needed "to provide the agreed military forces and capabilities and ensure their rapid deployment" in Saudi Arabia. The statement did not specify the number of troops or the roles they would fill once deployed.
Saudi Arabia's Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman said the member countries had agreed to trigger the deployment in response to the attacks and "all those responsible for them".
The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement
The three countries signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement in August, committing each to come to the others' aid if any one of them is attacked. The pact brings together Turkey, which has NATO's second-largest army, Pakistan, the Islamic world's only nuclear-armed state, and Saudi Arabia, the leading Gulf power.
Monday's announcement marks the first time the alliance has moved to activate its collective deterrence measures. Pakistan's Lieutenant General Nauman Mehmood was also appointed as the pact's first secretary-general for a three-year term, according to reports from the meeting.
Escalating conflict in Yemen
Saudi Arabia has faced repeated attacks by Yemen's Houthi group on its cities, oil infrastructure and shipping since the civil war flared again in July. In September, the Houthis launched an offensive that seized swathes of territory from Yemen's Saudi-backed government, which on Monday began a counteroffensive aimed at retaking ground held by the group, some of it for more than a decade.
Sources:
- Turkiye, Pakistan agree Saudi Arabia military deployment under Mecca pact — Al Jazeera
- Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye activate Mecca defence pact amid Houthi attacks — The Times of India
Pact triggered after Houthi attacks
The decision was taken at an emergency meeting of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee of the Mecca alliance on October 5, where representatives of Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey noted recent attacks on the kingdom, including ones targeting the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. The announcement was made in a joint statement shared by Pakistan's foreign ministry.
The three countries said they would "move immediately to the practical implementation of the collective defence commitments" and take the measures needed "to provide the agreed military forces and capabilities and ensure their rapid deployment" in Saudi Arabia. The statement did not specify the number of troops or the roles they would fill once deployed.
Saudi Arabia's Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman said the member countries had agreed to trigger the deployment in response to the attacks and "all those responsible for them".
The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement
The three countries signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement in August, committing each to come to the others' aid if any one of them is attacked. The pact brings together Turkey, which has NATO's second-largest army, Pakistan, the Islamic world's only nuclear-armed state, and Saudi Arabia, the leading Gulf power.
Monday's announcement marks the first time the alliance has moved to activate its collective deterrence measures. Pakistan's Lieutenant General Nauman Mehmood was also appointed as the pact's first secretary-general for a three-year term, according to reports from the meeting.
Escalating conflict in Yemen
Saudi Arabia has faced repeated attacks by Yemen's Houthi group on its cities, oil infrastructure and shipping since the civil war flared again in July. In September, the Houthis launched an offensive that seized swathes of territory from Yemen's Saudi-backed government, which on Monday began a counteroffensive aimed at retaking ground held by the group, some of it for more than a decade.
Sources:
- Turkiye, Pakistan agree Saudi Arabia military deployment under Mecca pact — Al Jazeera
- Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye activate Mecca defence pact amid Houthi attacks — The Times of India
