Türkiye, Pakistan to Rapidly Deploy Troops to Saudi Arabia Under New Defense Pact

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Türkiye and Pakistan will rapidly deploy troops to Saudi Arabia under a new mutual defense alliance, the three countries said Monday, as the Gulf kingdom faces escalating attacks from Yemen’s Houthi movement.

The announcement followed an emergency meeting in Riyadh attended by representatives from Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan.

The three countries signed the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement in August, committing to assist one another if any of them comes under attack. The pact brings together Türkiye, which has NATO’s second-largest army, Pakistan, the Islamic world’s only nuclear-armed state, and Saudi Arabia, a leading Gulf power.

In a joint statement, the three countries condemned attacks and threats against Saudi Arabia’s security and territorial integrity, particularly recent incidents involving the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. The statement did not explicitly name the Iran-backed Houthis.

The countries agreed to move immediately toward implementing their collective defense commitments, including taking the necessary measures to provide agreed military forces and capabilities and ensure their “rapid deployment” to Saudi Arabia.

The statement did not specify the number of troops to be deployed or the missions they would undertake.

Saudi Arabia has faced repeated Houthi attacks targeting its cities, oil infrastructure and maritime interests since fighting in Yemen’s civil war intensified again in July.

In September, the Houthis launched a major offensive that captured large areas from Yemen’s Saudi-backed government. Riyadh-backed forces launched a counteroffensive on Monday aimed at retaking Houthi-held territory, including areas the group has controlled for more than a decade.