Turkish FM claims 'no troops' to fight Yemen, says Mecca pact 'defensive' only

Saudi Arabia is seeking help as its mercenary forces in Yemen suffer losses at the hands of Ansarallah 

News Desk - The Cradle 

The Mecca pact is purely defensive, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan affirmed on 8 October, amid reports that Ankara planned to deploy troops to Saudi Arabia.

Speaking at a joint news conference with visiting Hungarian Foreign Minister Anita Orban on Thursday, Fidan said Turkiye was considering defense assistance to Saudi Arabia.

However, he ruled out sending Turkish troops to fight in Yemen on Saudi Arabia's behalf under the mutual defense pact signed in July by Turkiye, Pakistan, and the Saudi Kingdom.

“This is a defense pact, not a pact of offense; Turkiye won't send troops to another country for attacking another,” he said.

Saudi Arabia is backing mercenaries fighting in Yemen against the Ansarallah-led Yemeni government.

“Turkiye will not send soldiers to another country for an assault … Saudi Arabia already has a major military infrastructure; they have a high amount of weapons, munitions and defense elements accumulated over the years,” Fidan said.

Saudi Arabia has reportedly requested Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa send extremist fighters from the Syrian army to fight in Yemen.

Fidan and Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler joined Pakistani officials in Riyadh earlier this week for the second meeting of the Strategic Political and Defense Committee of the Mecca alliance.

Turkiye's Daily Sabah newspaper reported on Wednesday that Ankara would provide low- and medium-altitude aerial defense systems to Saudi Arabia along with assistance in drone technologies and electronic warfare.

The Ansarallah-led Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF) has successfully targeted Saudi oil infrastructure using drones and missiles, hindering the kingdom's crude exports.

The Turkish newspaper reported further that Saudi Arabia was working on setting up a base for Turkish forces within the kingdom.

Fidan said Turkiye is also working to calm tensions between Ukraine and Russia in the Black Sea, where drones have attacked multiple Turkish commercial vessels.

“Increasing attacks on civilian vessels pose a grave threat to the safety of people, commodities and routes in our region. Regional countries and the international community should not allow a new front in the Black Sea, but unfortunately, with the conflict spreading across multiple fronts, it is emerging in the Black Sea as well,” he said.