{
  "id": 16304591,
  "title": "Turkey rules out combat with Houthis under defence pact as foreign ministers meet in Istanbul",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/24/turkey-rules-out-combat-with-houthis-under-defence-pact-as-foreign",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-24T08:15:25.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The National Business",
    "slug": "the-national-business",
    "url": "https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/2026/10/24/turkey-rules-out-combat-with-houthis-under-defence-pact-as-foreign-ministers-meet-in-istanbul/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Turkey has ruled out the possibility of its troops engaging in combat with the Houthis under a defence pact with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, Defence Minister Yasar Guler stated on Friday. The foreign ministers of the four nations met in Istanbul to address regional developments. Turkey's primary objective is to bolster deterrence, not to enter into conflict with the Houthis, according to Guler. Their focus is on averting new tensions and promoting security and stability in the region. The Makkah defence agreement, signed in August and awaiting ratification by Turkey's parliament, stipulates that an attack on one member nation is considered an attack on all. However, the agreement's Article 2 raises questions about its applicability to the Houthis' strikes on Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have already ratified the pact. During their meeting in Istanbul, the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and Pakistan condemned the recent Houthi attacks on civilian areas in Saudi Arabia, while urging the Houthis to cease all military actions and return to the political process. The meeting took place on the sidelines of a broader diplomatic gathering in Istanbul, attended by foreign ministers from the UK, France, Germany, and Italy.",
  "summary": "Turkey does not expect its troops to engage in combat with the Houthis under a defence pact with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, Defence Minister Yasar Guler said on Friday, as the countries' foreign ministers met in Istanbul to discuss regional developments. \"The main purpose of our possible military support to Saudi Arabia will be to strengthen deterrence . We absolutely do not foresee entering into…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}