Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stated that Saudi Arabia may have unmet military needs resulting from persistent drone and missile strikes by Yemen’s Houthi movement. Speaking to Turkish broadcaster NTV, Fidan confirmed that Ankara would have no difficulty meeting those technical and military requirements as a participant in its trilateral defense pact with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
Türkiye Pledges Military Support Under the Mecca Alliance
Fidan said it was unacceptable for Saudi Arabia to be dragged into the US-Iran war, adding that Riyadh had no desire to join the conflict. He also recalled that the Turkish Foreign Ministry had condemned the attacks, specifically highlighting attacks targeting Mecca and oil infrastructure. Fidan stated that Türkiye’s leadership had demonstrated a commitment to its agreements, noting that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is a leader who keeps his word.
The defense arrangement, initially known as the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, was signed on August 7 in Mecca by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Member states formally named the arrangement the Mecca Defence Alliance on August 31, after officials meeting in Istanbul agreed to set up a secretariat in Riyadh, to be headed initially by a Pakistani secretary-general. Its founding principle is that an armed attack against any one of the three states will be treated as an attack against all three.
“We see there are very serious attacks on Saudi Arabia’s territorial integrity, sovereignty. We have an alliance agreement in our pact. We are in serious solidarity on this point … They may have some military needs, especially on some technical issues. We would have no issues in meeting these,”
Hakan Fidan, Turkish Foreign Minister
Escalating Houthi Attacks and Regional Flashpoints
The diplomatic overtures follow an intensification of military operations by the Iran-backed Houthi forces. In a statement released on Telegram, the Houthis claimed that their forces had carried out two military operations using ballistic and cruise missiles and drones, targeting civilian infrastructure in Riyadh and Yanbu. The strikes marked the first time the Houthi movement has targeted the Saudi capital during the conflict.
In response to the Saudi enemy's criminal attempts to target the capital, Sana'a, using ISIS-style tactics, including indiscriminate bombings targeting civilians. the Yemeni Armed Forces carried out two successful military operations using a large number of ballistic and cruise missiles and drones. The first targeted sensitive sites in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, and the second targeted Aramco facilities in Yanbu. Both operations were successful, by the grace of Allah, and resulted in massive fires at the targeted locations. The
Fidan said the confrontation with the Houthis had continued for around a decade, recalling that a ceasefire agreement had been reached in 2022 before the situation became complicated again following events in Gaza. He emphasized that Riyadh has no intention of being drawn into the broader regional conflict, which has continued for more than six months since Washington and Israel first struck Iran in February.
Stalled Diplomatic Talks and International Positions
Efforts to stabilize the region face substantial diplomatic hurdles. There has been a deadlock in US-Iran talks for the past few months,
Fidan said, pointing to a lack of trust between the parties.
According to Fidan, the two sides had previously reached a consensus in Pakistan, but disagreements subsequently emerged over implementation, and both sides have begun to interpret the ongoing process in a way that benefits them. Fidan added that proposals had been conveyed to all sides in an effort to end the fighting, noting that there are many initiatives but the sides need to accept these.
Meanwhile, other members of the Mecca Alliance have calibrated their own diplomatic and defense responses. Lieutenant-General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, a spokesperson for Pakistan’s military, told Arab News on Thursday that Islamabad would defend Saudi Arabia to any extent, including physically, though he did not say whether Riyadh had asked for more Pakistani troops. Pakistan’s Foreign Office has said no military response is currently under discussion under the pact, adding that Islamabad would act when the time comes.
Structural Questions Facing the Mecca Defence Alliance
Independent analysts observing the trilateral pact have questioned the operational substance behind the agreement, pointing out that it lacks the integrated command structure and standing forces that underpin NATO. Its institutional shape, including how the mutual defence clause would actually be triggered, remains unclear.
Fidan said at the time the alliance was built on respecting the sovereignty of other states, territorial integrity, and not intervening in internal affairs, and remained open to other countries joining. Turkish leadership insists its treaty obligations remain binding, with Fidan pointing to ongoing solidarity, security evaluations, and technical consultations as security conditions across the Red Sea corridor continue to develop.