Turkey's approval of Makkah pact takes effect as it signs separate defence agreement with Qatar

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Turkey’s law approving the Makkah Defence Pact with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan took effect on Saturday, a day after Ankara signed a separate mutual defence agreement with Qatar.The…

Turkey’s law approving the Makkah Defence Pact with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan took effect on Saturday, a day after Ankara signed a separate mutual defence agreement with Qatar.

The law was published in Turkey’s official gazette, completing the country’s legislative approval process for the trilateral pact. It comes after the Turkish parliament ratified the agreement on November 5 by 279 votes to 119.

Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed the Makkah Defence Pact in August amid regional tensions. It aims to strengthen military co-ordination, intelligence sharing and defence industry co-operation.

Modelled after Nato’s Article 5, the agreement hinges on the understanding that an attack on one country is considered an attack on all. But its implementation has come under scrutiny amid Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia has come under intensified Houthi attacks in recent weeks, including deadly strikes on airports that have disrupted air travel and prompted the cancellation or postponement of major international conferences, diplomatic summits and sporting events in the kingdom. The Houthis have also claimed attacks on Saudi energy and military targets.

The pact gives the kingdom a collective defence commitment from Turkey, home to Nato’s second-largest army. However, Ankara has ruled out deploying troops to fight the Iran-backed Houthis under the Makkah Defence Pact, according to Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Guler.

The pact is among several defence agreements reached in the region since the Iran war broke out in late February.

Turkey and Qatar ​signed ​a mutual defence agreement ​on Friday aimed at strengthening collective ⁠defence and promoting regional security. The two countries also pledged a ⁠unified stance against any external armed ​attack targeting either country, according to a joint statement.

The announcement came after Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan ⁠met Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim in Istanbul.

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