Turkey rules out offensive troop deployment against Yemen’s Houthis
Turkey will not deploy troops to Yemen to launch attacks against Houthi forces, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Thursday, drawing a clear distinction between Ankara’s defence commitments to Saudi Arabia and participation in offensive military operations.
Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported that Fidan’s remarks came as Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan move to implement a joint defence agreement amid escalating attacks by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis against Saudi Arabia. Ankara is considering ways to help protect the kingdom but has ruled out sending Turkish forces into another country to conduct attacks.
“This is a defence agreement,” Fidan said at a news conference in Ankara. “This is not an offensive agreement.” He said Turkey would support a partner under attack but would not send troops to another country’s territory to launch an assault.
The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, signed by Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan in August, provides for collective defence, treating an armed attack on one member as an attack on all. The three countries agreed earlier this week to move towards implementing their commitments and to arrange the rapid deployment of military capabilities in Saudi Arabia, subject to their respective national laws.
Fidan said military officials were assessing what assistance Turkey and Pakistan could provide, particularly in air defence, electronic warfare and technical support. Reuters reported that Turkey was already providing mainly defensive and technical assistance to Saudi Arabia, although the agreement had yet to receive formal ratification by Turkey’s parliament.
The statements come as fighting intensifies in Yemen, where Saudi-backed government forces are confronting the Houthis and the group has launched attacks against Saudi targets. The conflict has raised questions about whether the new defence arrangement could draw its members into a wider military confrontation.
Fidan said the agreement was intended to protect member states rather than authorise offensive action. He added that preparations to submit the pact to parliament had largely been completed.
The agreement’s practical scope will become clearer as the three countries determine the military support required by Saudi Arabia. For now, Ankara is signalling that cooperation may extend to defensive capabilities and technical assistance without committing Turkish troops to offensive operations in Yemen.
