Saudis, Turks and Pakistanis invoke pact

Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan invoked their defence pact for the first time at an emergency meeting in Riyadh on 5 October⁠¹. The three agreed "to move immediately to the practical implementation of the collective defence commitments", AFP reported⁠². Pakistan's foreign ministry published the joint statement. It said the three would "provide the agreed military forces and capabilities and ensure their rapid deployment" to Saudi Arabia, Al Jazeera reported⁠³. Each would act under its own laws.

Their leaders signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement in Mecca on 7 August. The signatories were Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Under it, "any armed attack against any one of the three states shall be regarded as an attack against them all", Foreign Policy reported⁠⁴. Saudi Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman said the committee "agreed to activate collective deterrence measures", Al Jazeera reported⁠⁵.

Each state sent its foreign minister, defence minister and army chief, Al-Monitor reported⁠⁶. Saudi Arabia sent Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and army chief Fayyadh Al-Ruwaili alongside Khalid bin Salman. Turkey sent Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Defence Minister Yasar Guler and army chief Selcuk Bayraktaroglu. Pakistan sent Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir. Mohammed bin Salman met the delegations.

The statement set no force size, timing or role, and gave no breakdown by country⁠⁷. It cited attacks on the holy cities of Mecca and Medina but did not name the Houthis, AFP and Foreign Policy reported⁠⁸. Pakistan said it would not release details of any deployment, Foreign Policy reported⁠⁹. Asif said Pakistan and Turkey already give Riyadh a "supporting role", including reconnaissance, Foreign Policy reported⁠¹⁰.

On 8 October Fidan ruled out a Turkish combat role in Yemen. Turkey "will not send its troops to another country's territory to launch an attack", AFP reported⁠¹¹. Turkish and Saudi military delegations would assess what defensive measures might be needed, AFP reported. On 12 October Erdogan said the pact would go to parliament for ratification in the coming days, Reuters reported⁠¹².

The meeting fell a day after Yemeni government forces opened their offensive towards Dhubab. Reporting the meeting on 5 October, Al Jazeera said the Houthis had claimed strikes on King Khalid International Airport and an Aramco refinery at Rabigh⁠¹³. Riyadh did not confirm them. Saudi authorities reported the first airport strikes on 6 October. Pakistani officials told The Arab Weekly on 3 October that 30,000 to 40,000 Pakistani troops already serve in Saudi Arabia, with advisers supporting Yemeni forces⁠¹⁴. Dar called an Iranian suggestion to engage the Houthis politically "brainstorming between two foreign ministers"⁠¹⁵.