In the joint statement of the meeting of the Mecca Agreement Strategic Political and Defense Committee held the previous evening, the decision to "take measures to provide the agreed military forces and capabilities to Saudi Arabia within the framework of the agreed arrangements and their rapid deployment, provided that they are in accordance with the national legislation of the parties", drew attention.
A DECISION OF THE GNAT IS REQUIRED
Based on this episode, the public was asked the question, "Will Türkiye send soldiers to Saudi Arabia to fight the Houthis?" However, constitutionally this is not yet possible. According to Article 90 of the Constitution, the approval of the Turkish Grand National Assembly is required for international agreements to come into force. This did not happen for the Mecca Agreement. Similarly, the Turkish Armed Forces' sending of soldiers to other countries - unless there is an agreement - requires a parliamentary authorization according to Article 92 of the Constitution. No such motion was issued. Military training agreements do not make it possible to send combat soldiers. Therefore, it is not currently possible to send troops to Saudi Arabia as mentioned. It is understood that the phrase "provided that it is in accordance with the national legislation of the parties" in the text also indicates this.
'IT MAY HAVE BEEN ADDED AT TURKEY'S REQUEST'
IYI Party International Relations Chairman Ahmet Erozan also emphasized this section and said, "I think this section was added at Turkey's request. Most likely, demands from the Saudis to 'deploy troops' are increasing. Pakistan can do this based on its bilateral agreement with Saudi Arabia. Türkiye, on the other hand, points to legal conditions."
Erozan pointed out that there is no text of the agreement, as Pakistan's Ankara Ambassador told Cumhuriyet newspaper, and said, "The Mecca Agreement is not on paper. No one knows what is in the document. It was signed on August 7, but it is still missing, I guess they are still writing it. Therefore, if there is a deployment of soldiers, I think it will be through Article 92 of the Constitution, not Article 90."
THE PERCEPTION OF 'WE PROTECT MECCA'
On the other hand, Erozan evaluated the statement "Attempt to target Mecca and Medina" in the joint statement with the following words: "In the last statement, only Mecca was included, now Medina has been added. The AKP government emphasizes that the threat is not against Saudi Arabia, but against Mecca and Medina. It highlights the perception of 'We will protect Mecca and Medina'. It is trying to sell the product in this way."
'APOCALYPSE SCENARIO'
NEW Party PM member Namık Tan expressed his views on his social media account. Tan said, "Without further ado, let's ask again and again: How can the alleged 'Mecca Joint Defense Agreement' be valid and implemented without being submitted to the Turkish Grand National Assembly for approval? If there is not a 'joint defense agreement' but a 'memorandum of understanding' or 'memorandum of understanding' or even just a 'joint press release', what is the legal basis for these steps? We reiterate and warn: What is being done is a constitutional crime."
Tan said, "In terms of foreign policy, especially in this environment and context, these bold initiatives reveal the obsession with a doomsday scenario specific to one-man regimes. If the claim of dispatching military force and/or talent to Yemen is true, this is a clear expression and evidence of the obsession."
'ATTENTION TO IRAN RELATIONS'
While emphasizing Parliament's approval, retired rear admiral Yankı Bağcıoğlu said, "If Turkey is involved in an offensive activity or direct combat engagement in Yemen, the risk of Turkish elements and Turkey-linked commercial ships becoming the target of Houthi attacks should not be ignored. The implementation principles, mission limits, force structure and duration of the agreement should be shared with the public as appropriate. Open sources regarding the weapons, logistics and technical cooperation between the Houthis and the Al-Shabab terrorist organization in Somalia are available." "The information provided should be taken into account, and its impact on Turkish military, economic and maritime trade interests in Somalia and the Gulf of Aden should be evaluated. The possible repercussions of military activities on Turkey-Iran relations should also be taken into account."
'SEVERAL HUNDRED TURKISH SOLDIERS ARE IN ARABIA'
Defense news site SavunmaSanayiST shared a remarkable news amidst all these discussions. In the news it published with the title "Mecca Defense Agreement on the field: Several hundred Turkish Soldiers and air defense and electronic warfare systems are in Saudi Arabia", the portal said, "Turkish-made air defense and electronic warfare systems have been stationed in Saudi Arabia for a while. Several hundred Turkish Armed Forces expert personnel are also serving in the country. They are used in the air defense of critical facilities. The picture on the field gives an answer to those who call the agreement 'practically dysfunctional'."
Yankı Bağcıoğlu stated that this situation is not legal: "The military cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia, approved by Law No. 6226 dated 2010, covers training and technical cooperation. It does not include the actual defense of Saudi Arabia's critical facilities by the Turkish Armed Forces. If our military is carrying out operational duties within the scope of the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, there are two very clear questions. Where is the approval of the Turkish Grand National Assembly? Why were Articles 90 and 92 of the Constitution not implemented?"
