The General Assembly of the Turkish Parliament on Thursday evening approved a bill authorizing the ratification of the “Mecca Mutual Defense Agreement” signed by Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. The bill received 279 votes in favor and 119 against, out of 398 votes, with no abstentions.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif signed the agreement in Mecca on August 7. Article 2 of the 16-article agreement stipulates that any external armed attack on one party is considered an attack on all parties.
Under the agreement, the parties will support the party subjected to an attack, including by providing military capabilities, within the framework of the right to self-defense set out in Article 51 of the United Nations Charter. The scope and nature of the support will be determined by consensus.
The agreement also covers counterterrorism, intelligence-sharing, joint exercises and cooperation in the defense industries. It establishes a strategic political and defense committee to oversee the cooperation, with its secretariat based in Saudi Arabia.
The agreement remains in force for an indefinite period, and no party may withdraw from it during the first 10 years. After that period, a party wishing to withdraw must notify the other parties in writing at least three months in advance. The accession of any new country requires the unanimous approval of the founding states.
The Turkish Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee approved the bill on October 27. The Turkish president is expected to ratify the agreement, after which the law will be published in the Official Gazette. The agreement will enter into force once the parties deposit their ratification documents with the secretariat.
