What did Hakan Fidan say about Turkey sending troops against Yemen’s Houthis?

Hakan Fidan said Turkey will not send troops to another country’s territory to launch an attack. He characterized Turkey’s defense agreement with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan as defensive rather than offensive.

What does the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement require if one member is attacked?

The agreement commits Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan to come to one another’s aid if one member is attacked. Fidan said this means supporting the attacked country’s defense, not conducting an offensive operation in another country.

What defensive steps will Turkey and Saudi Arabia consider over the Houthi attacks?

Turkish and Saudi military delegations will work together to assess what defensive measures may be needed. Fidan did not provide details about those measures, and Turkey’s parliament still has to ratify the agreement.

Turkey says will not send troops to fight Yemen's Houthis

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Summary

Turkey ruled out sending troops to confront Yemen’s Houthi forces from Ankara on Thursday, despite its defense pact with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement requires members to support one another’s defense, not launch offensive operations. Turkish and Saudi military delegations will assess possible defensive measures. The agreement still requires ratification by Turkey’s parliament.

Key Facts

The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement was signed by Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan in August.
Hakan Fidan said Turkey will not send troops to another country’s territory to launch an attack.
The Houthis have launched attacks on Saudi Arabia since beginning a major offensive in Yemen against the internationally recognized, Saudi-backed government.
The agreement links Turkey’s NATO forces, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, which the article describes as the Muslim world’s only nuclear-armed state.

By AFP

Published Oct 8, 2026 10:42 pm KST

This screen grab taken from video footage released by Ansarullah Media Centre on Oct. 5, shows an aerial view of a burning vehicle during what the Houthis say are drone attacks on Yemeni government forces at an undefined location in Yemen. AFP-Yonhap

ANKARA — Turkey's foreign minister on Thursday ruled out sending troops to confront Yemen's Houthi forces, despite a defence pact with Saudi Arabia.

The Iran-backed fighters have launched a wave of attacks on Saudi Arabia since they began a major offensive in Yemen against the internationally recognised, Saudi-backed government there.

Turkey signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia in August, committing the three countries to come to each other's aid in the event one were attacked.

"This is a defence agreement," said Hakan Fidan, adding, "If one of the countries is attacked, you support its defence. This is not an offensive agreement."

Turkey "will not send its troops to another country's territory to launch an attack," he stressed.

Fidan said Turkish and Saudi military delegations would work together to assess what defensive measures might be needed, without giving details.

The agreement, which still needs parliamentary ratification in Turkey, links NATO's second-largest army, Gulf oil giant Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, the Muslim world's only nuclear-armed state.

While the renewed violence has raised questions over whether the pact could draw members into the conflict, Turkish officials have repeatedly played that down.

"NATO was not built in a day," a Turkish diplomatic source told AFP last month.

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