Turkiye Ratifies Makkah Pact With Pakistan and Saudi Arabia

Ankara (GNP): Turkiye’s parliament has approved the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, completing the last legislative step needed for the trilateral security pact with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to come into force.

The bill passed by 279 votes to 119. A total of 398 of the 592 members of parliament took part in the vote, which followed an extended debate in the chamber.

Formally titled the Bill on the Approval of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement between the Republic of Turkiye, Pakistan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the measure sets out a framework for closer defense and security cooperation among the three countries.

The three countries signed the agreement at a trilateral summit in Makkah on August 7. They committed to strengthening collective security, deepening defense cooperation and promoting peace and stability in the region and beyond.

Under its terms, an external armed attack on any one of the three would trigger a framework for collective assistance. The nature and extent of that support would be decided jointly, depending on the circumstances.

Turkiye was the last of the three to finish the process. Last month, Pakistan’s Foreign Office confirmed that Islamabad and Riyadh had completed their ratification procedures, while Ankara was finalizing the formalities required under its domestic legal framework. Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan made the announcement at a weekly media briefing.

Momentum had already been building before the vote. At an October 5 meeting in Riyadh, the alliance’s Strategic, Political and Defence Committee called for immediate implementation of the collective defense commitments. It also urged the rapid deployment in Saudi Arabia of the military forces and capabilities already agreed upon, subject to each country’s national laws.

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In Turkiye’s parliament, the debate reflected both support and concern. Mehmet Guzelmansur of the Republican People’s Party called for clear rules to ensure the pact remains consistent with Turkiye’s other international obligations.

Ziya Altunyaldiz, a lawmaker from the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party, said the agreement was designed to strengthen regional security and prevent conflicts rather than escalate tensions. He added that the pact was not directed against any third country.

With the Turkish vote complete, ratification is now finished in all three signatory states, paving the way for the agreement’s implementation.