Fidan said the attacks on Saudi territory by Yemen’s Houthi rebels are “very serious” and that, under the trilateral pact, Turkey would have “no issues in meeting” any military needs the kingdom may have, particularly on technical matters.
The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, signed a month ago by Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, obliges the three signatories to treat an armed attack on any one of them as an attack on all, creating a collective‑defence framework in a region already fraught with conflict.
The Houthi movement, which controls the most populous parts of Yemen, has stepped up missile and drone strikes against Saudi cities, energy infrastructure and commercial shipping since it declared a naval blockade on Riyadh in July, threatening global oil supplies and the Red Sea export route while the Strait of Hormuz remains disrupted.
Washington has so far declined to intervene directly; former President Donald Trump rebuffed Saudi pleas for U.S. military support against the Houthis, leaving Riyadh to seek assistance from other partners.
Fidan added that it was unacceptable for Saudi Arabia to be drawn into a broader U.S.–Iran confrontation and said Turkey had conveyed “new proposals” to all sides in hopes of ending the fighting, though he did not detail the initiatives.
Pakistan, a nuclear‑armed member of the pact, clarified that no discussions have taken place about a military response to the Houthi attacks, but the country remains prepared to act “when the time comes.”
Turkey, which fields NATO’s second‑largest army, emphasized that the agreement with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia is open to expansion and is not intended to replace any existing alliances.
Hours before Fidan’s remarks, the Houthis announced they had struck “sensitive” sites in Riyadh with missiles and drones, a claim corroborated by reports of flames and a large smoke plume near the city’s main airport.
The Turkish government condemned the Riyadh attack, calling for an immediate halt to Houthi operations and reiterating its willingness to support Saudi defence under the Mecca pact.