Turkey will submit to parliament a mandate allowing military personnel to be deployed to Saudi Arabia under its joint defence pact with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, a lawmaker from the ruling AK Party told Reuters on Wednesday, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The mandate will be sent once a bill ratifying the accord has been approved, the lawmaker said. Turkey submitted the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement — signed by the three countries in August — to parliament for ratification on Tuesday, moving NATO's second-largest army closer to a formal mutual defence pledge with Riyadh as it faces Houthi attacks, Reuters reported.
The lawmaker said no Turkish troops deployed under the pact would take part in offensive operations, adding that technical personnel and experts would be sent initially to help with air defences, electronic warfare and other defensive support. Earlier, two officials told Reuters Turkey's contribution was expected to be limited to military equipment, intelligence sharing and weapons systems, and that no deployment had yet taken place under the alliance.
Defence Blog reported the two-step process follows Turkey's constitution, which requires separate parliamentary approval for troops abroad even after a treaty is ratified, and noted the Turkish Defence Ministry said on October 15 that the size of any contribution would depend on Saudi requests and conditions on the ground. Turkey has also agreed to join a Saudi-led coalition to ensure navigational safety in the Red Sea, according to Reuters.
Saudi Arabia is home to large numbers of Indian and Punjabi workers. A formal Turkish defensive deployment — air defence and electronic warfare experts, not offensive troops, on Ankara's account — adds another layer to the kingdom's defences as Houthi attacks continue, and will be watched closely in Washington and Tehran.