Turkish parliament panel approves Mecca defense pact with Riyadh, Islamabad

Committee approval and signing context

The Turkish parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday approved a bill to ratify the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement between Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, advancing the trilateral pact toward full ratification. Deputy Foreign Minister Levent Gumrukcu told lawmakers that Saudi Arabia and Pakistan had already completed their domestic ratification procedures and submitted official notifications following the Aug. 7 signing in Mecca by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

"The Mecca agreement is not only an extension of the special friendly relations between the three countries, but also a concrete product of the regional ownership increasingly needed in our region," Gumrukcu said during the committee session. He described the framework as an initial step toward establishing regional security based on mutual trust, noting that the three countries sought to address challenges through collective responsibility rather than awaiting external solutions.

NATO commitments and defensive nature

Gumrukcu emphasized that the agreement was entirely defensive and did not target any country, remaining open to all regional states respecting sovereignty and territorial integrity. "The agreement envisions integration rather than bloc-building in the region, embracing an inclusive rather than divisive vision," he added. The deputy foreign minister stressed that the pact would complement rather than replace Türkiye's NATO obligations, contributing to stability across the broader Middle East and supporting European security.

Committee Chairman Fuat Oktay dismissed concerns that the alliance might constitute a NATO alternative. "There were questions about whether an alternative to NATO was being created. Absolutely not," Oktay told reporters. He said the agreement would not undermine existing treaties or alter the signatories' sovereignty, adding that it aimed to enhance coherence in Ankara's foreign policy.

Expansion and technical provisions

The agreement provides for joint military exercises, defense industry cooperation and logistical support between the parties, Gumrukcu said, noting that any future deployment of Turkish Armed Forces personnel abroad would require constitutional authorization under Article 92. He explained that the alliance remained open to additional members willing to uphold international law, with admission requiring unanimous consent from the three founding states and subsequent parliamentary approval in Türkiye. Addressing the 10-year withdrawal clause, he cited the Montreux Convention as an example of similar indefinite agreements with initial fixed periods under international law.

"There is not the slightest element in the agreement concerning Pakistan or nuclear weapons," Gumrukcu stated. Separately, he addressed the Bedir Memorandum signed by Türkiye, Pakistan, Qatar and Indonesia, noting it had no organic connection to the Mecca alliance but reflected the same cooperative approach. "The Bedir Memorandum is a result of our approach aimed at deepening cooperation among regional countries on various issues and enabling these countries to develop common solutions together," he said.