Turkey has no plans to fight Houthis under Saudi pact, minister says

Turkey does not see its troops engaging in combat with Yemen’s Houthis under a defence pact with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, Defence Minister Yasar Guler said on Friday. “We absolutely do not envisage entering into any clashes with the Houthis,” Guler said in a TV interview, adding that any Turkish military support for Saudi Arabia would primarily aim to strengthen deterrence, as it has done in Qatar. Guler said Turkey would assess requests for military support from Saudi Arabia and determine the scope of any assistance, subject to legal procedures and parliamentary approval. The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, signed in August and submitted to Turkey’s parliament for ratification this week, commits the three countries to regard an armed attack on one as an attack on all.