Turkish parliament committee approves Mecca defence pact bill

On 27 October 2026, the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye (TBMM, the Turkish parliament) approved a bill ratifying the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement. The pact links Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.

The three countries signed the 16-article agreement in Mecca on 7 August. It treats an armed attack on one member as an attack on all three. It also provides for military cooperation, joint weapons production, technology transfer and intelligence sharing.

The bill passed the committee with votes from President Erdoğan's ruling party and its allies, despite objections from opposition members. Deputy Foreign Minister Levent Gümrükçü described the pact as defensive, aimed at no country and open to other regional states that respect international law. Committee chair Fuat Oktay rejected concerns that it could serve as an alternative to NATO.

The committee vote was one step in the ratification process. The bill still had to go to the General Assembly, the full chamber, for a final vote. Any deployment of Turkish troops abroad under the pact would separately need parliamentary authorisation.