Turkish parliament committee moves forward with Mecca defense pact amid regional tensions

On Tuesday, Turkey's Foreign Affairs Commission started the legislative process to endorse the Mecca Joint Defense Alliance, a trilateral defense treaty signed with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan in August. The pact, highlighted by recent Houthi strikes on Saudi territory, contains a collective-defense clause that opponents fear could obligate Turkey to intervene militarily beyond its borders. The government, represented by committee chair Fuat Oktay, argued the arrangement is strictly defensive, aimed at regional deterrence and security cooperation, and does not target any third state.

Opposition New Party deputy Utku Çakırözer called for the bill to be examined by the National Defense Committee, a request the commission says was denied. Deputy Foreign Minister Levent Gümrükçü explained that Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have completed ratification, and outlined the alliance’s pillars: collective defense, counter-terrorism, and defence-industry collaboration, emphasizing that new members would require consent of the core parties.