Turkish parliament ratifies Mecca defence pact

Turkey's parliament has approved ratification of a regional defence pact involving Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, state media reported overnight. The three nations signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement in August, pledging mutual support in the event of an attack. This alliance pairs Turkey, a NATO member with the second-largest army in the alliance, with Pakistan, the Islamic world's sole nuclear-armed state, and Saudi Arabia, the Gulf's dominant power.

The Turkish measure passed with a vote of 279 to 119, according to the state-run Anadolu news agency. During the parliamentary discussions, AKP lawmaker Ziya Altunyaldiz stated that the agreement was not aimed at any third country and aimed to prevent conflicts rather than escalate them. Saudi Arabia has been grappling with repeated attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels, who have targeted cities, oil facilities, and shipping since the conflict in the impoverished nation's civil war reignited in July.