Turkey and Pakistan Preparing to Deploy Troops in Saudi Arabia

Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan have agreed to move toward the practical implementation of their collective defense commitments and to prepare for the deployment of coordinated military forces and capabilities on Saudi Arabian territory.

This is stated in a joint statement following an emergency meeting of the Strategic Political and Defense Committee of the Mecca Defense Alliance.

The meeting was convened amid a deteriorating security situation around Saudi Arabia and a series of Houthi attacks on the kingdom’s territory.

Following the meeting, the parties decided to “immediately proceed with the practical implementation of collective defense commitments,” ensure the allocation of agreed-upon military forces and assets, and create the conditions for their rapid deployment in Saudi Arabia.

At this time, the specific number of troops, the composition of the units, their weaponry, or the timeline for their deployment have not been disclosed. It is noted only that the deployment will take place in accordance with agreed-upon mechanisms and the national legislation of the three states.

The parties separately reaffirmed the principle that the security of each of the three states is inseparable from the collective security of the entire alliance.

Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan signed the Mecca Agreement on Collective Defense on August 7, 2026. It stipulates that an armed attack on one of the participating states will be considered an attack on all of them.

Since signing the pact, the allies have not yet demonstrated an operational response to the first Houthi attacks — in particular, following the strike on the Saudi Aramco oil refinery in Jazan.

Alliance appoints its first secretary-general

At a meeting on October 5, the allies also took another step toward establishing a permanent organizational structure. Retired Pakistani Lieutenant General Nauman Mahmood was appointed as the first secretary-general of the Mecca Defense Alliance; he will serve in this position for three years.

The establishment of the secretariat had already been planned following the results of the first meeting of the Strategic Political and Defense Committee, which took place on August 31 in Istanbul. At that time, the parties agreed to locate the permanent secretariat in Saudi Arabia and determined that the first secretary-general would be a representative of Pakistan.

They also announced their intention to develop joint military capabilities, defense industry cooperation, joint technology development, and weapons production.

On September 25, the foreign ministers of the three countries, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, had already discussed the establishment of the alliance’s secretariat, committees, and working groups. At that time, they also agreed to hold urgent consultations among the chiefs of staff regarding possible assistance to Saudi Arabia.

Attacks on Saudi Arabia

In a joint statement on October 5, Turkey, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia condemned attempts to attack Mecca and Medina, as well as strikes on the kingdom’s cities, civilian targets, and economic infrastructure.

Amid an escalation of Houthi missile and drone strikes in September, Turkey announced its readiness to provide Saudi Arabia with military support in specific technical areas. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan emphasized at the time that the three countries already have allied obligations under the Mecca Agreement.

At the same time, Riyadh is receiving military aid from outside the trilateral alliance — the United Kingdom sent an RAF Voyager refueling aircraft to Saudi Arabia to refuel Saudi fighter jets during operations to repel Houthi attacks.

France has also announced the deployment of military personnel and air defense systems to Saudi Arabia to protect the area around the port of Yanbu.

In August, Saudi Arabia led a naval coalition of 14 countries formed to counter the Houthi blockade and protect shipping in the Red Sea and adjacent straits. The coalition included, among others, Turkey and Pakistan.