# Turkiye sends Makkah defence pact with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to parliament for ratification

Source: Searchable (https://searchable.pk/news/politics/turkiye-sends-makkah-defence-pact-with-pakistan-and-saudi-arabia-to-parliament)
Type: News article
Author: Searchable Editorial
Published: 20 Oct 2026
Updated: 20 Oct 2026
Retrieved: 20 Oct 2026

> A foreign affairs commission could debate the three-nation pact as early as Friday. Ankara says its part will be equipment, intelligence and weapons, not troops.

**Turkiye has sent the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement it signed with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to its parliament for ratification**, three Turkish parliamentary sources told Reuters on Tuesday 20 October, [Business Recorder reported](https://www.brecorder.com/news/40445125/turkiye-submits-pakistan-saudi-defence-pact-to-parliament-for-ratification-sources-say). Under the pact, signed by the three countries in August, an armed attack on one member is treated as an attack on all.

## What happens next in Ankara

- Parliament Speaker **Numan Kurtulmus**, who is visiting Kyrgyzstan, will refer the agreement to the parliament's **foreign affairs commission** when he returns, two of the sources said.
- The commission could debate it **as early as Friday 23 October**, another source said.
- Ratification by parliament is needed before Turkiye formally approves the agreement.

Turkish Foreign Minister **Hakan Fidan** has said the pact is not an "offensive agreement" and that Turkiye would not send troops to attack another country's territory. A Turkish official, speaking anonymously, said Ankara's contribution is expected to be limited to **military equipment, intelligence sharing and weapons systems**, and that no other kind of deployment has taken place under the alliance so far.

## The pact so far

| When | What |
| --- | --- |
| August 2026 | Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye sign the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement; the joint statement did not set out each country's commitments |
| Early October 2026 | Emergency alliance meeting in Riyadh agrees on "rapid deployment" of military forces and capabilities in Saudi Arabia |
| 20 October 2026 | Turkiye submits the pact to parliament, Reuters reports |

Turkiye has condemned the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, offered to help meet Riyadh's military technology needs and agreed to join a Saudi-led coalition for safe navigation in the Red Sea. The report carried no comment from Pakistani or Saudi officials.

## Why it matters for Pakistan

The move comes as the Houthis keep striking Saudi targets, including Riyadh's airport. On the same day Britain announced it would fly [RAF Typhoon jets over Saudi Arabia on defensive missions](/news/world/uk-to-fly-raf-typhoon-jets-over-saudi-arabia-to-defend-cities-from-houthi). The pact was also on the table when the new Saudi ambassador called on Field Marshal Asim Munir this month, which we covered [here](/news/politics/saudi-envoy-meets-asim-munir-new-ambassador-and-cdf-review-makkah-defence-pact). Field Marshal Munir is in [Tehran on Tuesday](/news/politics/asim-munir-in-tehran-on-tuesday-field-marshal-visits-iran-as-us-iran-talks-stall) for talks with Iranian officials.

Saudi Arabia is home to one of the largest Pakistani communities abroad, and remittances from there, which you can convert on our [riyal to rupee page](/data/sar-pkr), are one of the country's largest sources of foreign exchange.

## Frequently asked questions

**What is the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement?**

A defence pact signed in August 2026 by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye under which an armed attack on one member is treated as an attack on all.

**When will Turkiye's parliament debate the pact?**

Reuters' sources said the foreign affairs commission could debate it as early as Friday 23 October 2026, after the Speaker refers it on his return from Kyrgyzstan.

## Sources

- Turkiye submits Pakistan-Saudi defence pact to parliament for ratification, sources say (Business Recorder (Reuters)): https://www.brecorder.com/news/40445125/turkiye-submits-pakistan-saudi-defence-pact-to-parliament-for-ratification-sources-say

How to cite: "Turkiye sends Makkah defence pact with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to parliament for ratification", Searchable, 20 Oct 2026, https://searchable.pk/news/politics/turkiye-sends-makkah-defence-pact-with-pakistan-and-saudi-arabia-to-parliament