Turkish opposition leader warns Yemen war risk via Mecca pact

Ozgur Ozel, the leader of Turkey’s main opposition party, has criticized the decision to activate defensive commitments under the "Mecca Agreement." He warned that deploying Turkish forces to Saudi Arabia risks making Ankara a direct participant in the war in Yemen.

Parliamentary approval demands

Speaking during his party’s parliamentary group meeting, Ozel stated that any decision to send soldiers abroad must receive parliamentary consent. He condemned the failure to refer the agreement to the legislative body before the decision to deploy forces was taken.

The opposition leader argued that signing a joint defense pact with a country currently engaged in war could directly involve the signatory state in the conflict. He expressed rejection of what he described as a "venture" that might lead Turkish soldiers into Yemen after a century, and criticized the use of the military, according to his wording, to serve external agendas.

Strategic committee decisions

An extraordinary session of the Political, Strategic, and Defense Committee established under the agreement took place in Riyadh on Monday. The committee concluded that it should begin rapidly implementing shared defensive obligations.

The session also determined the necessity of taking measures to provide military forces and capabilities for deployment in Saudi Arabia, while respecting the national laws of the three member states.