Opposition leader urges parliamentary review of Turkey-Saudi Mecca defense pact

Yeni Party leader Özgür Özel demanded that the government honor constitutional requirements by presenting the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement to parliament for immediate scrutiny. The trilateral pact between Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, signed on August 7, created the Mecca Alliance and was later activated on October 5 to allow rapid deployment of forces to Saudi Arabia in response to Houthi-claimed attacks. Özel emphasized that Article 90 of the constitution dictates how such international accords become binding, and Article 92 mandates parliamentary consent before any troops are sent abroad. He criticized the government for discussing troop deployments without parliamentary debate and said the agreement must first be examined by the defense and foreign affairs committees before reaching the General Assembly. Özel pledged to keep the issue on the agenda to press President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to respect both parliament and the constitution.