Turkey clears path for Mecca defence pact and potential Saudi troop deployment

The Turkish parliament approved a significant defence pact early on Friday, marking a decisive step toward formalising a military alliance with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. The bill, which establishes the Mecca defence pact, received endorsement from 279 members of parliament, while 119 voted against it. This legislative victory completes a crucial stage in the domestic legal process required to activate the international agreement.

The ruling Justice and Development Party, alongside its coalition partner the Nationalist Movement Party, provided the primary support for the legislation. Notably, the Republican People’s Party, which serves as a nominal opposition force, also backed the measure. This shift in stance is attributed to recent internal changes within the CHP, which has split into two factions following a court order that ousted its previous leader. The party's new leadership has shown a growing alignment with the Turkish government's positions on foreign policy.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected to publish the approved law in the Official Gazette later this week, which will bring the provisions into force. The agreement itself was signed in August by the three regional powers and was submitted to the Turkish legislature for approval last month. Once fully ratified by all parties, the pact creates a collective security framework among the signatories.

The core principle of the treaty is that an armed attack on one participating country will be treated as an attack on all. While the text does not name specific nations or regions as threats, it emphasises that all members will take necessary measures to support one another in defending their independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. The agreement consists of 16 articles and is designed to be permanent, with no set expiration date.

Withdrawal from the pact is possible but subject to strict conditions. Signatories may exit only after ten years have passed since the treaty entered into force. To do so, a member must provide written notice to the other parties at least three months in advance. Sources familiar with the negotiations indicate that all three allies have committed to formally ratifying the treaty before their trilateral consultation meetings scheduled for later this month. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia announced last month that they had completed their respective ratification processes.

With the parliamentary approval secured, Turkish officials are now focusing on the next phase: securing authorisation to deploy Turkish forces to Saudi Arabia. This move is intended to show solidarity with Riyadh in the face of attacks by the Houthi group from Yemen. The deployment is seen as a practical application of the collective defence mechanism established by the new pact.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan clarified last week that any such deployment would be strictly defensive in nature. He specified that Turkish forces would remain in Saudi Arabia and would not conduct operations within Yemen. This distinction is important for clarifying the scope of the military commitment and limiting the geographical reach of the intervention.

Beyond the troop deployment, Ankara must also negotiate a Status of Forces Agreement, commonly known as a Sofa, with its partners. This additional legal instrument is required to clarify the criminal and civil jurisdictions that will apply to Turkish forces and personnel stationed in Saudi Arabia. Such agreements typically govern various administrative details, including entry and exit procedures, customs regulations, taxation, vehicle registration, and day-to-day legal protections.

It remains unclear whether negotiations on the Sofa have been completed. Until this agreement is ratified, the legal framework for the daily operations of Turkish troops in Saudi Arabia will not be fully established. The finalisation of these legal details is considered a necessary step before the full implementation of the defence pact and the subsequent military deployment can proceed smoothly.