KABUL (Pajhwok): Turkey’s parliament has approved a joint defence treaty with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan aimed at strengthening military cooperation, enhancing defence coordination and addressing shared security threats.
According to Al Jazeera, the Turkish parliament approved the Mecca Joint Defence Treaty on Thursday (November 5). The agreement was signed by Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan in August this year.
The treaty received 279 votes in favour and 119 against, with 398 of the parliament’s 592 members participating in the vote.
The 16-article agreement seeks to strengthen defence cooperation, improve military coordination and enhance collective responses to security threats.
Under Article 1, the signatory countries pledge to use all necessary means to counter threats to one another’s territorial integrity.
Article 2 stipulates that if any member state comes under armed attack or military aggression by another country or group of countries, the other members must immediately provide assistance using all available means.
The provision has been compared to Article 5 of NATO’s founding treaty, which considers an armed attack against one member an attack against all members.
Beyond mutual defence commitments, the agreement also provides for joint military exercises, the development of defence technologies, and the sharing of intelligence and logistical resources.
The treaty will remain in force for ten years, after which member states may withdraw.
Other countries may also join the agreement with the consent of the existing members. Syria’s government has previously expressed interest in joining the arrangement, according to the report.
The parliamentary approval comes amid growing security tensions in the region, including increased Houthi attacks targeting Saudi Arabia in recent months.
However, Turkish officials have emphasised that approval of the treaty does not mean Turkey will immediately deploy troops to Saudi Arabia.
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