Ankara’s position on Yemen
Turkey does not envisage its forces entering combat with Yemen’s Houthis under the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, Defence Minister Yaşar Güler said on Friday. According to Annahar, Güler made the statement in an appearance on Star television.
Güler said any Turkish military support for Saudi Arabia would be intended primarily to strengthen deterrence, drawing a comparison with Turkey’s role in Qatar.
Ratification and military assistance
The agreement was signed in August and has been submitted to Turkey’s parliament for ratification. It commits Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan to regard an armed attack on any one of the three countries as an attack on all of them, Annahar reported.
Güler said Ankara would assess any Saudi request for military support and determine the scope of possible assistance. The pact must first be ratified, while any deployment would also be subject to the required legal procedures and a separate parliamentary mandate.