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Türkiye does not foresee any conflict with the Houthis under possible military support to Saudi Arabia through the Mecca pact, National Defense Minister Yasar Guler said, stressing that the aim would be deterrence.
Guler said Saudi requests would be assessed only after the Turkish parliament ratifies the agreement, as Houthi missiles targeted western Saudi cities on Saturday and Saudi forces struck Sanaa.
"In this context, as in Qatar, the main purpose of our possible military support to Saudi Arabia will also be to strengthen deterrence," he said during an interview with Star Haber General Manager Nazli Celik.
"We definitely do not foresee entering into any conflict with the Houthis. Our priority is to prevent new tensions from emerging in the region and to contribute to security and stability," he added.
The Turkish defense minister noted that once the Turkish parliament approves the agreement, Saudi Arabia’s requests would be evaluated within the necessary legal procedures and the authority granted by parliament.
The scope of any support would be determined then, he said.
Türkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement on Aug. 7. The pact aims to strengthen the three countries’ security through collective deterrence and defense.
Fuat Oktay, chairman of parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, said that the committee would take up the agreement Tuesday.
"The Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, which we will discuss in our parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee in the coming days, is the clearest indication of our will for regional ownership," Oktay said during a visit to Yozgat.
"I would like to underline that this is not an attack agreement against third countries. It is entirely a defense agreement," he noted.
"On Tuesday, we will be discussing the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement in the Foreign Affairs Committee, which I chair, in our parliament. We will evaluate it in all its dimensions. Once it passes through our parliament, it will become law in the General Assembly as well and will be put into practice as soon as possible," the Turkish official added.
He said the pact means neighbors "who trust each other, can talk to each other and communicate" taking ownership of their region’s problems, "producing solutions together and not expecting solutions from outside."
"The Mecca Joint Defense Agreement is a step taken within this framework," Oktay said.
The Saudi-led coalition said Saturday it intercepted two Houthi ballistic missiles fired toward Taif and Yanbu in western Saudi Arabia.
"Two ballistic missiles launched by the Houthi militia toward the cities of Taif and Yanbu were intercepted and destroyed," coalition spokesman Brig. Gen. Turki al-Maliki wrote on X.
Saudi Arabia’s civil defense agency earlier issued warnings of "potential danger" for four western regions, including Mecca, before rescinding them minutes later.
Saudi airstrikes later hit Sanaa and its surrounding governorate, including a house that killed at least four people, the Houthi-linked Al-Masirah broadcaster reported. It also reported around 20 strikes on Mocha.
The Houthis have attacked Saudi airports and energy facilities in recent weeks.
A strike on Riyadh’s airport earlier this month killed 13 people.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan is set to meet Yemeni Foreign Minister Afrah al-Zouba in Istanbul on Saturday, Turkish Foreign Ministry sources said.
It is al-Zouba’s first bilateral trip abroad since her July 24 appointment, after visits to Gulf countries.
Fidan is expected to reaffirm Türkiye’s support for Yemen’s territorial integrity, national unity and its internationally recognized government. He is also expected to stress that "the Houthis’ attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure are unacceptable," the source added.
The top Turkish diplomat would also say security and freedom of navigation in the Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb straits must be restored "as soon as possible," the source said.
On Friday, ministers from Britain, France, Germany and Italy met in Istanbul with counterparts from Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Egypt to discuss security in the two straits and Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia.
Defense Minister Guler also called on Egypt to sign a maritime boundary agreement following Türkiye's memorandum with Libya.
"We are also ready to sign an agreement with Egypt on the delimitation of maritime jurisdiction areas. Our offer to Egypt is clear: If Egypt signs such an agreement with our country, it will have approximately 15,000 square kilometers more maritime jurisdiction area compared to a possible agreement it could make with Greece," he stated.
"The Badr Memorandum of Understanding we signed with Qatar, Indonesia and Pakistan has been an important development in terms of our multilateral military cooperation," he said.
"With this memorandum, based on mutual trust and common goals, we aim to take our relations in the field of defense to a higher level by bringing together the means and capabilities of our countries," Guler added.
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