Türkiye’s Parliament Completes Mecca Pact Approval

Türkiye’s parliament completed its approval of the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan late on November 5, advancing the pact toward ratification. The treaty has not yet entered into force, and parliamentary approval does not authorize Turkish troops to deploy abroad. The Grand National Assembly adopted the bill’s remaining articles after approving its first article during a sitting spanning November 4 and 5. The measure sets out the domestic steps for Türkiye’s ratification. The enabling law must be published in the Official Gazette, and Türkiye must deposit its ratification instrument with the pact’s secretariat before the agreement takes effect. No date for those steps was stated. The agreement’s Article 2 says that if a party suffers an armed attack or military aggression by another country or group of countries, the other parties will provide immediate assistance using available mutual-assistance measures. The text includes military capabilities among the resources that may be used. It does not specify that Türkiye will send forces to Saudi Arabia. The pact also covers defence-industry cooperation, intelligence sharing, logistical support, joint...