Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Turkey has drawn a clear line over its role in Saudi Arabia’s fight against Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militants. Ankara said it is prepared to help defend the kingdom but will not send troops to carry out offensive attacks.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Thursday that Ankara was assessing what military support it could provide under the newly signed Mecca Joint Defence Agreement with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. He stressed that the pact was designed for collective defence, not to launch military operations against the Houthis.
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The comments come as the three countries step up coordination following a sharp escalation in attacks on Saudi Arabia. Riyadh has been targeted by Houthi missiles and drones as Yemen’s long-running civil war has reignited amid US-Iran war.
TURKEY OFFERS AIR DEFENCE, TECHNICAL SUPPORT
Speaking at a joint press conference with Hungarian counterpart Anita Orban in Ankara, Fidan said Turkish and Pakistani military officials were examining Saudi Arabia’s defence requirements. He said possible Turkish assistance could include air defence, electronic warfare capabilities and technical support.
“Yemen’s legitimate government forces are already continuing the battle on the ground and Saudi Arabia is supporting them,” Fidan said.
“But this is a defensive agreement. When a country party to the pact comes under attack, you
stand by it in its defence. This is not an offensive agreement. Turkey will not send troops to another country to carry out attacks on its territory,” he said.
MECCA PACT PUT TO THE TEST
Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement in August. Under the pact, an armed attack on one member is treated as an attack on all three, establishing a collective-security framework.
The agreement has now moved rapidly from paper to practical military coordination. On Monday, the three countries said they had agreed to immediately implement their collective defence commitments and ensure the “rapid deployment” of military forces and capabilities in Saudi Arabia.
However, Turkey’s involvement remains subject to a key procedural hurdle. The Turkish parliament has not yet formally ratified the defence agreement. Fidan said on Thursday that preparations for submitting the pact to parliament were largely complete and that Ankara intended to send it “as soon as possible”.
Until then, Turkish officials have indicated that much of Ankara’s assistance would be provided through bilateral arrangements rather than under the fully activated framework of the Mecca pact.
PAKISTAN’S MILITARY ROLE GROWS
While Turkey has emphasised a defensive role, Pakistan is providing more direct military support to Saudi Arabia.
According to a report by The New York Times, Pakistan Air Force fighter jets are being used in strikes against Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels as Islamabad steps up its military support for Riyadh following the activation of the Mecca defence pact.
US defence analyst Col David O Smith, a former US Army attache in Pakistan and former senior Defense Intelligence Agency analyst, estimated that around 8,000 Pakistani troops are currently deployed in Saudi Arabia, according to The New York Times.
The distinction is increasingly important as the conflict around Yemen becomes entangled with wider regional tensions.
The Houthis control large parts of Yemen and have intensified attacks on Saudi Arabia after the kingdom backed forces loyal to Yemen’s internationally recognised government. Riyadh, in turn, has sought help from regional partners as it attempts to counter the renewed Houthi advance.
As Houthi attacks push the newly formed alliance towards real military coordination, the question is no longer whether Saudi Arabia’s partners will respond, but how far they are prepared to go.
– Ends
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
