Turkey submits Mecca defence pact with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan to parliament

ANKARA — The Turkish government submitted the text of the Mecca Defence Pact to the Turkish parliament on Tuesday, according to Middle East Eye. The pact was signed in August by Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.

Middle East Eye said it obtained the full text of the agreement exclusively. All details in this report come from that outlet's account. Zenga News has not independently seen the document.

What the pact says

According to Middle East Eye, the agreement establishes a new international defence alliance. It commits the three signatories to one another's defence. The outlet compared the arrangement to Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty.

Middle East Eye reported that the text does not name any specific country or region as a threat. It said the document instead stresses that all participating countries will take the necessary measures to support one another if there is an armed attack on their independence, sovereignty or territorial integrity.

The outlet quoted the first article of the treaty. It reads:

"If the territorial integrity, sovereignty, or internationally recognised borders of any of the 'Parties' are threatened or endangered, the 'Parties' shall use all necessary means to eliminate such threat(s) or danger(s)." — Article 1 of the Mecca Defence Pact, as quoted by Middle East Eye

What is not confirmed

The material provided by Middle East Eye does not include comment from the Turkish, Saudi or Pakistani governments on the text or on its submission to parliament. It does not say whether the other two countries have sent the pact to their own legislatures.

The source also does not describe what steps the Turkish parliament will take next, or when any vote might occur. It does not give the exact date in August on which the pact was signed, or the place of signing beyond the name of the pact.

Middle East Eye's summary says the pact commits the parties to mutual defence. The excerpt available does not set out how that commitment would operate in practice. It does not say which "necessary means" the parties could use, or whether any joint command or military structure is planned.

Background

The pact takes its name from Mecca. Middle East Eye described it as a defence alliance signed by Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan in August. The outlet's comparison to Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty refers to the principle in that treaty that an attack on one member is treated as a matter for all.

According to Middle East Eye, the text avoids naming any state as an adversary. It frames the commitment in general terms, covering threats to independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and internationally recognised borders.

Middle East Eye published the report in its live blog on Tuesday under the headline "Exclusive: Full text of the Mecca defence pact signed by Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan". Further details of the agreement, and any official response from the three governments, were not available in the source material at the time of writing.