ANKARA (The Thursday Times) — Türkiye has published the law ratifying the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, completing its approval of the three-nation pact, Turkish state media reported on Saturday.
The law, No. 7597, appeared in the Official Gazette dated November 14 and takes effect on publication. The Turkish parliament approved the measure on November 5 by 279 votes to 119, with 398 of its 592 members taking part.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif signed the agreement in Makkah on August 7, pledging to strengthen collective security and deepen defence cooperation.
What the pact says
Under the 16-article agreement, an armed attack from outside on any one of the three countries is treated as an attack on all of them, according to its text as reported in Türkiye. The others are to give immediate help to the country attacked, which can include military means, with the scope of support set after an assessment of its needs.
The pact also provides for intelligence sharing through secure channels and for logistical support, including weapons, ammunition, fuel, and spare parts, in peacetime, wartime, and emergencies. It encourages personnel exchanges, joint training, and exercises to make the three armed forces work better together. The full text, published last month, also sets a ten-year term and puts a Pakistani first in line to run its secretariat.
Why it matters now
The step comes as Saudi Arabia faces missile and drone attacks from Yemen’s Houthis, who this week claimed a strike on its East-West pipeline. Pakistan’s military has called the country’s commitment to Saudi security “non-negotiable”, and Pakistan this week backed renewed UN sanctions on the Houthis at the Security Council.
Türkiye has also been widening its defence ties in the Gulf. Its defence industry chief said on Thursday that Ankara is ready to co-produce arms with Saudi Arabia, and on Friday Türkiye and Qatar signed a mutual defence pact.
