Turkey submits Mecca Joint Defence Agreement with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to parliament for ratification

Summary

Turkey has sent the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, a trilateral defence pact between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, to its parliament for ratification, according to parliamentary sources. Two sources told Reuters, as reported by Middle East Eye, that Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus will submit the agreement to the parliament's foreign affairs commission after returning from Kyrgyzstan. Al Jazeera reports that the deal sets out provisions for joint defence among the three countries. The Straits Times, citing three parliamentary sources, reports that the move brings NATO's second-largest army closer to a formal mutual defence pledge with Riyadh as it faces Houthi attacks.

Timeline

1. Middle East Eye

   20 Oct 2026, 10:12 UTCSource ↗

   Middle East Eye reports, citing parliamentary sources and Reuters, that the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey has been sent to the Turkish parliament for ratification, with Speaker Numan Kurtulmus to submit it to the foreign affairs commission.

2. Al Jazeera

   20 Oct 2026, 16:34 UTCSource ↗

   Al Jazeera reports that Turkiye is moving to ratify the trilateral Mecca defence pact with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, which lays out provisions for joint defence.

3. The Straits Times

   20 Oct 2026, 17:31 UTCSource ↗

   The Straits Times reports, citing three parliamentary sources, that Turkey has submitted the defence pact with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to parliament for ratification, moving it closer to a formal mutual defence pledge with Riyadh as it faces Houthi attacks.