Turkey Saudi defence pact commitments are coming under pressure as Ankara says it is ready to help meet Saudi Arabia’s military needs amid escalating Houthi attacks.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Saudi Arabia could require military assistance, particularly with technical issues. He added that Turkey was prepared to provide support under the new trilateral agreement with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.
Turkey Offers Help to Saudi Arabia
Fidan made the comments in an interview with Turkish broadcaster NTV. He said the attacks had challenged Saudi Arabia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.
According to Fidan, the three countries have an alliance agreement that requires them to show solidarity when one member faces an armed attack.
The agreement, known as the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, treats an armed attack against one member as an attack against all three. Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed the pact in August.
However, Fidan did not say that Turkey would immediately deploy forces to Saudi Arabia. Instead, he referred specifically to possible military requirements in technical areas.
He also said the alliance does not seek to replace existing defence partnerships. Ankara has described it as a regional security framework that can complement its other commitments.
Houthi Attacks Raise Pressure
The comments came after a fresh escalation involving Yemen’s Houthis.
The Houthis claimed on Saturday that they had launched missiles and drones at sensitive sites in Riyadh. Saudi authorities later said they had intercepted a missile and thwarted attacks targeting Riyadh and several other locations. Flames and heavy smoke were also reported near Riyadh’s main airport.
The attacks have intensified since July, when the Houthis announced a naval blockade and began targeting Saudi territory, energy infrastructure and shipping.
The developments have also raised concerns about regional energy supplies and major shipping routes. The Bab el-Mandeb Strait and Red Sea are important routes for global trade, while traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has also faced disruption.
Pakistan’s Position
Pakistan is the third member of the new defence arrangement. However, Islamabad has indicated that there have been no discussions about an immediate military response to the Houthi attacks under the agreement.
Pakistan has nevertheless said it would act if circumstances require it.
That distinction is important because the pact is still in its early stages. Turkey has been working with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to establish the alliance’s institutional structure, including its secretariat and military headquarters.
Fidan said the agreement could also expand in the future. He described the alliance as open to other countries in the region.
Turkey Calls for an End to the Conflict
Fidan also said Saudi Arabia should not be drawn further into the wider US-Iran conflict because Riyadh does not want to become a party to that war.
He said Turkey had conveyed proposals aimed at ending the fighting to the relevant sides. However, he acknowledged that the proposals would only work if the parties accepted them.
Meanwhile, Turkey has condemned the Houthi attacks and called for them to stop.
For now, the latest developments are putting the new Turkey-Saudi-Pakistan defence arrangement under its first major test. Ankara’s offer of technical military support shows that the agreement could have practical consequences as regional tensions continue to rise.
