Turkish FM says weighing Saudi defence support, rules out offensive role

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Fidan says Turkey will not send troops to another country to carry out attacks on its territory

Turkey is assessing how it can help Saudi Arabia defend against attacks by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi militants under a joint defence pact ​with Pakistan, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Thursday, ruling out Turkish ‌participation in offensive operations.

Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement in August, under which an armed attack on one member is considered an attack on all. The three countries have since held political ​and military meetings in response to the Houthi attacks.

On Monday, the countries said ​they had agreed to move immediately to implement their collective defence commitments ⁠and ensure the “rapid deployment” of military forces and capabilities in Saudi Arabia.

Speaking at a joint ​press conference with his Hungarian counterpart Anita Orban in Ankara, Fidan stressed that the pact ​was defensive rather than offensive, saying military officials were assessing possible contributions, particularly in air defence, electronic warfare and technical support.

“Yemen’s legitimate government forces are already continuing the battle on the ground and Saudi Arabia ​is supporting them,” Fidan said.

“But this is a defensive agreement. When a country party ​to the pact comes under attack, you stand by it in its defence. This is not an offensive ‌agreement. ⁠Turkey will not send troops to another country to carry out attacks on its territory,” he said.

Fidan said military delegations would determine Saudi Arabia’s operational defence needs and what contributions Turkey and Pakistan could make.

On Wednesday, two officials told Reuters that Turkey was sending mainly defensive ​and technical support to ​Saudi Arabia to help ⁠its fight with Houthi militants.

Turkish officials have said any support provided at this stage would largely be in a bilateral capacity, as ​Turkey’s parliament has not officially ratified the joint defence pact.

Fidan said ​on Thursday that ⁠work was largely completed for the agreement to be submitted for parliament’s approval and that they aimed to send it “as soon as possible”.

Turkey, which has NATO’s second-largest army and a robust ⁠defence industry, ​has condemned the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, voiced willingness ​to help meet Riyadh’s technical military needs, and agreed to join a Saudi-led coalition to ensure navigational safety ​in the Red Sea.

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