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Türkiye's Chief of General Staff Gen. Selcuk Bayraktaroglu met Friday with senior military commanders from Pakistan and Saudi Arabia in Riyadh under the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, as the three countries discussed support for the kingdom following renewed Houthi attacks.
Bayraktaroglu attended the meeting with Pakistan's Chief of Defense Forces and Army Chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and Saudi Chief of General Staff Gen. Fayyadh Bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili, according to Türkiye's General Staff.
Ankara later released photographs showing the three military officials together in uniform.
The military talks came a day after Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar met on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York.
The ministers discussed preparations for an urgent meeting of the three countries' military chiefs to consider ways to support Saudi Arabia under the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement.
They also reviewed progress toward establishing the agreement's general secretariat, committees and working groups.
The three ministers condemned attacks targeting Mecca as well as civilian and economic facilities in Saudi Arabia and praised the Saudi Armed Forces for defending the kingdom.
They also reaffirmed Saudi Arabia's right to take measures it considers necessary to protect its security in accordance with Article 51 of the U.N. Charter.
Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed the defense agreement in August during a trilateral summit in Mecca, pledging to strengthen collective security, deepen defense cooperation and promote regional and international peace and stability.
The agreement states that an attack against one of the three countries will be considered an attack against all.
The talks come as Yemen's Houthis have intensified attacks on Saudi Arabia since July, ending a years-long truce, declaring a maritime blockade, striking Saudi targets and seizing Yemen's entire Red Sea coast as they seek to restrict Saudi oil exports.
Pakistan and Türkiye have so far not carried out strikes against the Houthis.
The foreign ministers also discussed the regional situation, stressing international law, good neighborly relations, respect for sovereignty, non-interference in internal affairs and the security and freedom of navigation.
They reiterated their commitment to pursuing de-escalation, peaceful solutions to regional crises and sustainable peace and stability.
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