ANKARA, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- The General Assembly of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye on Thursday approved a bill on the ratification of the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement among Türkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, local media reported.
The bill was approved by a vote of 279 to 119 in the 600-seat parliament, completing parliamentary consideration of the security pact, according to Türkiye Today.
The bill consists of three articles. The first approves the 16-article defense agreement, the second stipulates that it will enter into force upon publication in Türkiye's Official Gazette, and the third assigns responsibility for its implementation to the president.
The Turkish government submitted the agreement to parliament for ratification in October.
On Aug. 7, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan signed the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement in Mecca. Under the agreement, an armed attack on any signatory is to be considered an attack against all three.
The agreement also provides for closer military cooperation, intelligence sharing, collective deterrence, and cooperation in the defense industry.
However, the collective-defense provision does not automatically trigger military deployment. Any military assistance would be determined through consultations and in accordance with each country's constitutional and legal procedures. The deployment of Turkish troops abroad would require separate parliamentary authorization. ■
