Türkiye to assess air defence support for Saudi Arabia

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has said Ankara is assessing how it could support Saudi Arabia in responding to attacks from Yemen’s Houthi movement under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye.

Speaking at a joint press conference in Ankara, Fidan said Turkish military officials were conducting technical assessments to determine what assistance could be provided under the agreement. He indicated that air defence was among the areas being examined.

Fidan stressed that the pact was defensive in nature and was not designed to facilitate offensive military operations. He said the agreement requires members to support one another if any signatory comes under attack, while clarifying that this does not mean deploying forces to launch attacks on another country.

The Turkish foreign minister also said the process of submitting the agreement to the Turkish parliament for ratification had been completed.

His comments followed an emergency meeting of the Makkah defence alliance in Riyadh, where Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye agreed to move towards the practical implementation of their collective defence commitments.

The alliance’s Strategic Political and Defence Committee reviewed security developments and threats facing Saudi Arabia. The three countries agreed to take necessary measures for the provision and rapid deployment of agreed military forces and capabilities in the kingdom, subject to their respective national laws and existing arrangements.

The agreement was signed on August 7 with the objective of strengthening collective deterrence among the three countries. Under the pact, an attack against one member is treated as an attack against all members.

Although the official statement did not identify a specific threat, the latest developments come amid attacks by the Houthis in the wider Yemen conflict, including strikes targeting Saudi Arabia.

Pakistan has also confirmed the presence of its troops in Saudi Arabia. Inter-Services Public Relations Director General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry recently said Pakistani personnel had been stationed in the kingdom for decades and were serving across several areas.

Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has described the defence agreement as defensive and said it carries no offensive agenda. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said Pakistani and Turkish forces would provide supporting capabilities, including reconnaissance, while Saudi forces would undertake combat operations.