'Mecca' statement from Butlan CHP: 'We are opponents until the end, but the agreement will produce positive results'

The Bill on Approval of the "Mecca Agreement for Common Defense between the Republic of Turkey, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia", signed by Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia on 7 August 2026, was accepted in the General Assembly of the Turkish Grand National Assembly.

A total of 398 votes were cast in the Parliament, where there were 592 deputies, and the proposal was passed with 279 votes in favor and 119 votes against. AKP, MHP and CHP, which is under absolute rule, voted in favor of the agreement.

The speech on behalf of the Butlan CHP group was made by Istanbul Deputy and member of the Turkish Grand National Assembly Foreign Affairs Commission, Oğuz Kaan Salicı, at the General Assembly of the Turkish Grand National Assembly.

"WE NEED TO SAY YES TO THE FIRST SECURITY STEP"

Stating that US bases, navy, diplomatic and economic influence continue to exist in the Middle East, but the assumption that all security problems of the region will be solved by the USA is increasingly questioned, Salicı said, "Therefore, the question on our table is: Who will ensure the security of the Middle East? Beijing? Washington? Moscow? Or the own states, their own institutions and their own diplomatic mechanisms of the nations living in this geography? Who will provide it?" he said.

Salici tried to defend his decisions by saying, "We have no intention of approving an agreement prepared by the Justice and Development Party, but we need to say 'Yes' to the first step of a regional security architecture that will protect the interests of the Republic of Turkey, friends."

Stating that they do not accept Türkiye's automatic participation in other countries' wars, Salici said, "If this were an agreement to send soldiers, our vote would be 'rejection', friends, this is not an agreement to send soldiers."

"OUR MEASUREMENT IS NOT TO SUPPORT THE AKP"

"Our measure is clear. Our measure is not to support the foreign policy of the Justice and Development Party. It is not to establish a government of national consensus or anything like that," said Tuesday, and concluded his words as follows:

"We see that the Justice and Development Party is collapsing, but we have to differentiate between Türkiye's interests and the situation of the Justice and Development Party. We do not index our understanding of foreign policy to the Justice and Development Party. We are opponents until the end, but we think that the Mecca Agreement is a security architecture agreement that will have positive results for Türkiye."