ANKARA: Turkiye plans to submit a mandate to parliament allowing it to deploy military personnel to Saudi Arabia under a joint defence pact with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, a ruling AK Party lawmaker told Reuters on Wednesday.
The lawmaker, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the government would submit the mandate after parliament approves a bill ratifying the agreement.
Turkiye submitted the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement to parliament for ratification on Tuesday. The three countries signed the pact in August, bringing NATO’s second-largest army closer to a formal mutual defence commitment with Riyadh as Saudi Arabia faces Houthi attacks.
Initial Deployment to Focus on Defence
The AK Party lawmaker said Turkish troops deployed under the pact would not participate in offensive operations.
Instead, Turkiye would initially send technical personnel and experts to support Saudi Arabia’s air defences, electronic warfare capabilities and other defensive systems.
However, two officials previously told Reuters that Turkiye’s contribution would likely remain limited to military equipment, intelligence sharing and weapons systems.
The officials also said the alliance had not yet involved any other form of military deployment.
Turkiye Supports Red Sea Security
Turkiye has condemned Houthi attacks and agreed to join a Saudi-led coalition aimed at protecting navigation in the Red Sea.
The planned mandate would provide a framework for deploying Turkish personnel under the trilateral defence agreement. However, the scope and timing of any deployment remain subject to further parliamentary action.
