Turkiye weighs military support for Saudi Arabia amid Houthi attacks
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan says Ankara will assess Saudi Arabia’s military needs under the newly formed Mecca Defence Alliance.
Turkiye would consider supporting Saudi Arabia’s military needs under the Mecca Defence Alliance, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has said, as Houthi attacks in Yemen intensify.
Speaking to Turkish broadcaster NTV, Fidan said Saudi Arabia might have unmet military needs resulting from the attacks. He did not specify what assistance Ankara might provide, when it could be offered or whether Riyadh had formally requested support.
Fidan also said Saudi Arabia did not want to be drawn into the US-Iran war, which he described as a concern for the kingdom. He said proposals had been conveyed to all sides in an effort to end the fighting, without providing further details.
The alliance was signed on 7 August by Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan and formally named on 31 August. Its stated principle is that an armed attack on one member will be treated as an attack on all three. A secretariat is to be established in Riyadh, initially led by a Pakistani secretary-general.
Pakistan has also pledged to defend Saudi Arabia under the agreement, although Pakistan’s Foreign Office has said no military response is currently under discussion. Analysts have questioned the pact’s practical substance, citing the absence of an integrated command structure and standing forces, while the process for activating its mutual-defence clause remains unclear.
