Turkish parliamentary committee approves Makkah joint defence pact

ISTANBUL: The foreign affairs committee of Turkiye’s parliament has approved the Makkah joint defence agreement between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkiye. The bill will be presented to the Turkish parliament for final approval.

According to Turkish media, the government said the agreement between Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan is for defence, not aggression. It said the aim is not to take action against any third country.

Regional security

Fuat Oktay, chairman of Turkiye’s parliamentary foreign affairs committee and a member of the ruling Justice and Development Party, addressed the meeting. He said tensions in the Middle East, the Russia-Ukraine war, and the Caucasus, the Balkans and North Africa were directly affecting regional security.

He said the Makkah agreement was an important step towards regional ownership and greater defence capability. He said its aim was to promote peace and stability in the region. According to him, the agreement is not meant to build an alliance against any country or for expansionism, but to strengthen defence cooperation and joint defence capability.