Turkish parliament advances Mecca joint-defense pact with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan

Turkey's parliament approved the first article of the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement on Wednesday and postponed completing review until Thursday, November 5.

• Turkey's parliament approved the first of the pact's 16 articles late Wednesday, postponing further review until Thursday, November 5.
• The agreement was signed August 7 in Mecca by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
• Turkey's Deputy Foreign Minister said the pact targets no state and does not conflict with Ankara's obligations under NATO.
• Several Turkish opposition parties reject the ratification bill, which the parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee approved for the general assembly.