Turkey's Defense Ministry announced Friday that the military chief of staff will travel to Saudi Arabia for a meeting of the Mecca Defense Alliance, which includes Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. The talks come amid ongoing Houthi attacks on the kingdom, according to Abu Ali Express.
Turkey's Defense Ministry announced Friday morning that the military chief of staff will travel to Saudi Arabia for a meeting of the Mecca Defense Alliance, a regional security framework that includes Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan. The announcement marks the official confirmation of the delegation's visit, following earlier reports that such a meeting was planned.
Earlier Friday at 03:35 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported that senior Pakistani and Turkish officials were expected to arrive in Saudi Arabia for talks on countering Houthi attacks, and that an urgent chiefs-of-staff meeting was being planned under a joint defense agreement. Turkey's confirmation now formalizes its participation.
The Mecca Defense Alliance was activated amid escalating Houthi aggression. As The Zioneer reported on September 21, the Houthi movement, an Iranian-backed group operating from Yemen, launched a multi-pronged assault on Riyadh, targeting the international airport and an adjacent energy facility, prompting Saudi Arabia to request activation of the alliance. The Houthis have repeatedly struck Saudi infrastructure, including airports and oil facilities, in recent months.
No specific date for the meeting has been released.
4 developments
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- DevelopingPakistan's FM: Defense pact with Turkey, Saudi Arabia purely defensive, not aimed at any country
- StrongQatar rejects joining Saudi-Turkey-Pakistan defense pact; analysis cites caution over Iranian reprisal
- DevelopingAnalysis: Mecca Agreement questioned as 'paper pact' after Houthi drone strike on Saudi refinery
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