Turkish parliament approves Makkah pact

During the debate, ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party lawmaker Ziya Altunyaldiz stressed that the agreement aims to expand security cooperation in the region. He emphasised that it contains no approach against any third country and that its main goal is to prevent conflicts rather than escalate them.

Opposition speakers raised reservations about the pact's scope and oversight. Mehmet Guzelmansur of the Republican People's Party (CHP) said clear rules are needed so the agreement does not contradict Türkiye's other international obligations. On October 20, Turkiye had submitted the pact to its parliament for ratification.

Turkiye's constitution requires separate permission from parliament to deploy troops abroad regardless of any international agreement. On September 23, the government appointed Lt Gen Mahmood as the first secretary general of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement (MJDA).

The appointment was the first major institutional development since Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye signed the pact, and his appointment gives Pakistan the responsibility of establishing and leading the alliance's first secretariat during its formative three-year period.

The decision was taken at the inaugural meeting of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee, held under the MJDA, which brought together the foreign and defence ministers and military chiefs of the three countries in Istanbul on August 31.

Under the arrangement agreed in Istanbul, the secretary general would head the alliance's General Secretariat, based in the Saudi capital and tasked with overseeing implementation of the agreement, coordinating joint activities among the three militaries and supporting expanded defence-industrial cooperation.(With input from )