Turkey and Pakistan have decided to rapidly deploy troops to Saudi Arabia, which has been targeted by attacks from Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels.

This move indicates the practical implementation of the "Makkah Joint Defense Agreement," which was signed in August by the three Sunni Muslim nations of Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan.

According to AFP on the 5th (local time), representatives from the three countries held an emergency meeting in the Saudi capital of Riyadh and stated, "We reaffirm our firm rejection of any attacks or threats to the security and territorial integrity of Saudi Arabia."

They added, "We will immediately initiate the practical implementation of our collective defense commitments, provide agreed-upon military forces and capabilities, and take necessary measures to ensure their prompt deployment to Saudi Arabia."

While they did not explicitly mention the Houthis, they stated that they are focusing on recent attacks against Saudi Arabia, particularly those targeting the Islamic holy sites of Mecca and Medina.

The statement did not disclose specific details, such as the size of the troops to be deployed or what roles they will undertake.

The meeting was attended by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, and the defense ministers of all three nations.

The three countries signed the joint defense agreement on August 7 in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

In their joint statement at the time, the three nations announced, "We have signed this treaty to strengthen collective deterrence against all acts of aggression," adding, "An armed attack against any of the three nations will be considered an attack against all of them."

The agreement has drawn significant attention as it binds together Turkey, which possesses the second-largest military force in NATO; Pakistan, the only nuclear-armed nation in the Islamic world; and Saudi Arabia, a Gulf powerhouse that houses Mecca, Islam's holiest site.

On September 25, the foreign ministers of the three countries also held a trilateral meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, US, where they issued a statement condemning the Houthi rebels' attacks on Mecca and key facilities within Saudi Arabia.

(Photo: Yonhap News)