Makkah Defense Pact; Turkey's Challenges and Expectations from Saudi Arabia

Turkey will soon present the text of the Makkah Defense Pact to its Parliament and begin the internal approval process. This move comes amid significant criticism regarding the effectiveness of this pact and Turkey's ability to support Saudi Arabia against Houthi attacks.

Houthi Attacks and Security Concerns

Following the signing of the Makkah Defense Pact, the Houthis intensified their attacks on Saudi Arabia's energy infrastructure and took control of coastal areas of Yemen near the Bab al-Mandab Strait. This has raised serious concerns among security experts and analysts. Some analysts believe that this pact will fail due to Turkey's potential inaction and reluctance to engage militarily.

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Pact Details and Legal Hurdles

A senior Turkish official, who requested anonymity, explained that the defense commitments of this pact have not yet been legally implemented. He also added that the necessary institutions and military arrangements for implementing these commitments will take time. This official emphasized that the pact must pass through the internal approval process of the signatory countries for its defense commitments to become legally binding.

Turkey will soon present this agreement to Parliament, and according to this official, the text will be published shortly. While the President of Turkey cannot ratify security agreements without parliamentary approval, Pakistan must also obtain its Parliament's approval for this pact. However, the Saudi government can approve this agreement through a royal decree.

Prospects for Security Cooperation and Future Challenges

Turkish officials have announced the beginning of the establishment of the institutions of this pact and emphasized that at a recent meeting in Istanbul, an agreement was signed to create a secretariat in Saudi Arabia. This secretariat will be led by a Pakistani secretary-general with a three-year term. Additionally, this Turkish official expressed hope that with the establishment of this secretariat and the holding of consultative meetings, they can gradually institutionalize this pact.

However, this official also pointed out that the announcement of a secretariat alone does not mean that members agree on a specific response to missile or drone attacks. The Makkah Pact, similar to NATO Article 5, commits to a unified response to attacks on any member. However, each country must decide for itself what appropriate action to take. In other words, an attack does not automatically lead to a military response.

This official referred to NATO's history and noted that in the past, NATO has focused solely on consultation and decision-making in response to various threats. This point could exacerbate the inaction of the signatory countries against Houthi attacks and raise questions about the effectiveness of this pact.

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