Turkish panel backs 10-year defence pact with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan

A Turkish parliamentary committee approved a collective defence agreement with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. The 10-year pact promises stronger deterrence but raises fears of entangling Türkiye in regional wars.Stock photo used for illustrationAnkara,Oct 27, 2026 19:36 ISTA Turkish parliamentary committee on Tuesday approved a defence agreement with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan amid growing tensions between Riyadh and the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, news agency Press Trust of India reported.The agreement requires the three countries to treat an armed attack on any one of them as an attack on all three. Opposition parties, however, warned that the pact could draw Trkiye into conflicts involving other countries.The foreign affairs committee approved the agreement with the support of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling party and its allies despite opposition objections. It will now be debated and put to a vote in the full assembly, though no date has been set.The 16-article Mecca Joint Defence Agreement also allows military cooperation, joint weapons production, technology transfers and intelligence sharing. According to the agreement published by Turkish state media, the pact will remain in force for 10 years. Ministers from the three countries have already met twice, in Istanbul and Riyadh. High-level delegations from the three nations also held talks in Tehran on Monday in an effort to prevent renewed fighting in the Iran war.Turkish government officials said they were considering sending military support to Saudi Arabia, PTI reported. However, they maintained that the agreement was defensive and that Turkish troops would not be deployed to fight in Yemen or attack the Houthis. Fuat Oktay, a legislator from the ruling Justice and Development Party who heads the committee, urged members to approve the pact. He said it was aimed at strengthening deterrence and cooperation, did not target other countries and was likely to support peace and stability."The agreements our country has signed and to which it is a party are not intended for aggression, expansionism, or the formation of a bloc against third countries," Oktay said. "On the contrary, our nation is a party to defence agreements aimed at strengthening deterrence, fortifying our region and fostering peace and stability."Opposition parties warned that the agreement could put Turkish soldiers at risk and involve the country in other nations' conflicts."Will this agreement enhance the security of the peoples involved, or will it create new obligations that entangle Trkiye in the wars of other nations?" asked Semra Caglar Gokalp of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party.Referring to conflicts between Pakistan and India and tensions along Pakistan's border with Afghanistan, she asked: "What are the limits of the responsibility Trkiye might assume in the face of these challenges?"The opposition also criticised the three countries for holding meetings before Trkiye's parliament had ratified the pact.The agreement, which provides for collective defence and wider military cooperation for 10 years, will take effect only after it clears the full assembly. The government says it is defensive, while the opposition remains concerned about the obligations it could place on Trkiye.With PTI Inputs- Ends