Turkish parliament expected to review defense pact with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan next month
Turkey's parliament will likely consider the joint defense agreement with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan after its recess ends next month.
Key Takeaways
AITurkish Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus said on Friday that the joint defense agreement between Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan has not yet been submitted to parliament for ratification. He added that he expects the agreement to be formally presented when parliament resumes after its recess next month.
The three countries signed the "Mecca Joint Defense Agreement" in August, just weeks before Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi group launched attacks against Saudi Arabia amid ongoing regional conflict.
The agreement stipulates—similar to Article 5 of the NATO Charter—that an attack on any one of the three nations will be considered an attack on all.
Kurtulmus told reporters in Ankara, "For international agreements to take effect, parliamentary approval is required; the meetings currently being held under this agreement are preparatory."