Turkey plans mandate to send military personnel to Saudi Arabia, ruling party official says

Turkey will submit to parliament ​a mandate allowing for military personnel to be ‌deployed to Saudi Arabia under its joint defence pact with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, a lawmaker from the ruling AK Party ​told Reuters on Wednesday.

The lawmaker, speaking on condition ​of anonymity, said the mandate would be sent ⁠to parliament once a bill ratifying the accord ​has been approved.

Turkey submitted the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement — signed by ​the three countries in August — to parliament for ratification on Tuesday, moving NATO's second-largest army closer to a formal mutual defence pledge ​with Riyadh as it faces Houthi attacks.

The AKP ​lawmaker said that no Turkish troops deployed to other countries under ‌the ⁠pact would take part in offensive operations, adding that technical personnel and experts would be sent initially to help with air defences, electronic warfare technologies, and other ​defensive support.

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Earlier, two ​officials had ⁠told Reuters that Turkey's contribution was expected to be limited to military equipment, intelligence sharing ​and weapons systems, adding that no other ​form ⁠of deployment had taken place under the alliance so far.

Turkey, which has condemned the Houthi attacks, has also agreed ⁠to ​join a Saudi-led coalition to ensure ​navigational safety in the Red Sea.

A day earlier, Reuters reported that Turkey submitted a defence ‌pact with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to parliament for ratification, according to three parliamentary sources. The trilateral Makkah Joint Defence Agreement outlines that an armed attack on one member is considered an attack on all.

The ​agreement's first article says the parties shall use "all necessary means" to eliminate threats to one another's territorial integrity, sovereignty or internationally recognised ​borders, according to a text seen by Reuters.

"In the event one of the parties is subjected to an armed ⁠attack or military aggression by another country or group of countries, the parties shall immediately provide assistance to the party under attack, utilising the ​full range of mutual assistance measures available to them," Article 2 of the agreement says.

The provision, similar to NATO's Article 5, refers to Article ​51 of the UN Charter, which covers the individual or collective right of states to self-defence against armed attack.

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The three countries "will decide on the scope and nature of the support to be provided following an objective assessment of the assistance required" and will cooperate within their available resources, including military capabilities and resources, the same article says.

At ​an emergency meeting of the alliance in Riyadh earlier this month, the three countries agreed to ensure the "rapid deployment" of military forces and capabilities in Saudi ​Arabia. Turkey, which has a robust defence industry, has condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, expressed willingness to help meet Riyadh's military technology needs and agreed to join ‌a Saudi-led ⁠coalition to ensure navigational safety in the Red Sea.

The agreement also envisages close cooperation on defence industry, intelligence sharing, logistical support and the fight against "all means of terrorism," including at the operational level.