Mecca defence pact text reveals 10-year exit restriction as Houthis test alliance

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif signed the agreement in Mecca on August 7.

In Short

• The pact requires members to immediately assist an attacked ally
• Houthi attacks on Saudi test alliance's military support commitments
• Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are part of defence pact

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey can leave the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement only after 10 years from its entry into force, according to the full text of the 16-article pact published by Turkiye Today ahead of its consideration by the Turkish parliament.

The pact’s collective defence pledge, which treats an armed attack on one member as an attack on all, was already public. The newly disclosed text spells out when members can leave and how they must assist an attacked ally.

“Any ‘Party’ may withdraw from this Agreement after 10 years have elapsed from its entry into force,” Article 16 states. Members must give at least three months’ written notice through diplomatic channels, Turkiye Today reported.

The pact has no fixed expiry date. It enters into force when the final instrument of ratification is deposited with the alliance’s secretariat. The 10-year period therefore begins from that date rather than its signing.

The details emerged in Turkish media as Ankara submitted the agreement to parliament for ratification on Tuesday, Reuters reported.

DUTY TO ASSIST, FLEXIBILITY ON RESPONSE

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif signed the agreement in Mecca on August 7.

They announced its central pledge at the time: an armed attack against one member would be treated as an attack against all. Plans for joint military exercises, intelligence sharing and defence production were also made public.

The text published by Turkiye Today now details how that pledge would work. Members must immediately assist an ally facing an armed attack or military aggression by another country or group of countries.

The scale and nature of support would be determined after assessing the assistance required and the resources members can provide, including military capabilities.

The obligation to help does not prescribe a fixed military response or troop contribution, leaving members flexibility over how they support an attacked ally.

HOUTHI ATTACKS TEST THE PLEDGE

Missile and drone attacks by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis on Saudi Arabia are proving to be the alliance’s first major test of how that obligation translates into military support.

At an emergency meeting in Riyadh earlier this month, the three members agreed to ensure the rapid deployment of military forces and capabilities in the kingdom.

Pakistan’s military spokesperson, Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, said Islamabad was providing “whatever support is needed” to protect Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and holy sites.

Speaking to Independent Arabia on Sunday, he described their protection as “paramount” and “non-negotiable” for Pakistan. He did not disclose the nature or extent of the assistance.

A Turkish official told Reuters that Ankara’s contribution was expected to be limited to military equipment, intelligence sharing and weapons systems. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has described the pact as defensive, saying Turkey would not send troops into another country to carry out attacks.

DIFFERENT ROUTES TO APPROVAL

Domestic approval processes also shape how members can implement the pact. Turkey requires parliamentary ratification of the agreement and separate parliamentary permission for troop deployments abroad.

Saudi Arabia, an absolute monarchy, approves international treaties through royal decree rather than parliamentary ratification.

Pakistan’s participation has drawn scrutiny over parliament’s role and the risk of involvement in the Yemen conflict. Its Foreign Office has maintained that deployments under the pact do not require parliamentary approval and are covered by existing laws and government procedures.

In 2015, Pakistan’s parliament backed Saudi Arabia’s territorial integrity but declined to commit Pakistani forces to combat in Yemen.

Islamabad has said troops deployed under the current arrangement would defend Saudi territory and would not cross into Yemen to attack the Houthis.

- Ends