Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan Meet: Senior officials from Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are meeting in Riyadh on Monday under the new Mecca Defence pact. The talks come at a tense time as fighting between Yemen’s Saudi-backed government and the Iran-backed Houthis has sharply increased.
The meeting is being held by the Strategic Political and Defence Committee, which was created under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement signed by the three countries in August. The deal says an armed attack on one of the three members will be treated as an attack on all of them. It also aims to increase defence cooperation and joint military capabilities.
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Turkey will send Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Defence Minister Yasar Guler and Chief of General Staff General Selcuk Bayraktaroglu. Pakistan’s delegation includes Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, reported Reuters. Saudi Arabia will also be represented by its senior political and military officials.
“The meeting will address recent developments in the region and the stage reached in the Alliance’s institutionalisation efforts,” the Turkish foreign ministry said.
Yemen Offensive Puts Pact Under Pressure
The Riyadh meeting is taking place just as Yemen’s internationally recognised government has announced a major military campaign against the Houthis. Rashad Al Alimi, head of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, said government forces would try to take back territory now controlled by the group.
The Houthis have made new gains around the Red Sea coast and the Bab Al Mandeb area. Their recent advance has increased concerns over one of the world’s important shipping routes. Saudi Arabia supports Yemen’s recognised government and has faced attacks linked to the Houthi conflict.
The renewed fighting has also raised the question of how far the new defence alliance may go in helping Saudi Arabia. Military chiefs from the three countries already met in Riyadh in September and discussed stronger intelligence sharing, military coordination and defence cooperation. They also condemned attacks against Makkah and Saudi infrastructure.
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Iran’s Political Proposal Also on Agenda
Pakistan has also said Iran suggested trying political talks with the Houthis after the recent attacks. Ishaq Dar described the idea as a goodwill suggestion rather than a formal written offer.
The proposal is important because the three pact members now have to consider both military and political options. The Riyadh meeting is expected to discuss the latest regional situation and decide how the alliance should respond while continuing its effort to build a working defence structure.
