Pakistan and Turkey will deploy forces to Saudi Arabia under their new trilateral defense pact as the war in Yemen continues to escalate several months after it was reignited by Saudi airstrikes on the Sanaa International Airport.
The Mecca defense pact between Turkey, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia was signed back in August, and as Ansar Allah, also known as the Houthis, has gained significant ground in Yemen and has continued heavy attacks on Saudi Arabia, Riyadh has been seeking more international support in the war.
Top-level officials from the three countries, including Saudi Crown Prince Mohhamed bin Salman, attended a meeting in Riyadh and issued a joint statement after the talks that said they would “move immediately to the practical implementation of the collective defense commitments and to take the necessary measures to provide the agreed military forces and capabilities and ensure their rapid deployment in the Kingdom.”
The statement added that turning the defense agreement “into practical measures demonstrates the credibility of the commitment to collective defense.”
It’s unclear what role Turkish and Pakistani forces will play in the war or whether they will become directly involved. Earlier this year, Reuters reported that Pakistan had deployed a squadron of fighter jets and air defenses to Saudi Arabia, meaning that Pakistan could potentially launch airstrikes in Yemen.
The US currently has more than 200 military advisors deployed in Saudi Arabia who are helping with intelligence and targeting support, and is refueling Saudi warplanes, but so far hasn’t launched direct airstrikes. Ansar Allah has warned the US against directly entering the war, saying it would lead to escalation and the closure of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to US shipping, a warning that would probably also apply to Turkey and Pakistan.
