Turkey does not see fighting Houthis under Saudi defence pact, minister says

Ankara: Turkey does not see its troops engaging in combat with Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi rebels under a defence pact with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, Defence Minister Yasar Guler said on Friday.

"We absolutely do not envisage entering into any clashes with the Houthis," Guler told Star television, adding that any Turkish military support for Saudi Arabia would primarily aim to strengthen deterrence, as in Qatar.

Guler said Turkey would assess requests for military support from Saudi Arabia and determine the scope of any assistance, after parliament ratified the pact and in accordance with the necessary legal procedures and parliamentary authorisation.


The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, signed in August and submitted to Turkey's parliament for ratification this week, commits the three countries to regard an armed attack on one as an attack on all.