Turkey's approval of Makkah pact takes effect as it signs defence agreement with Qatar

On Saturday, Turkey's law approving the Makkah Defence Pact with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan came into effect, following the country's signature of a separate mutual defence agreement with Qatar the previous day. The legislative approval process for the trilateral pact was finalized when Turkey's parliament ratified the agreement on November 5, with a vote of 279 to 119.

The pact, signed in August, aims to enhance military coordination, intelligence sharing, and defense industry cooperation among the three nations. The agreement is modeled after the NATO Article 5, which obligates member states to come to the defense of any attacked member. However, the pact's implementation has been met with criticism due to recent Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, including deadly strikes on airports that have disrupted air travel and postponed major international conferences.

Turkey, as a member of NATO with one of the largest armies, has ruled out deploying troops to fight the Iran-backed Houthis under the Makkah Defence Pact. Meanwhile, Turkey and Qatar signed a mutual defence agreement on Friday, pledging to strengthen collective defense and promote regional security. The two countries also agreed to maintain a unified stance against any external armed attack targeting either nation and have committed to expanding joint military exercises, personnel training exchanges, and defense industry cooperation.