New York (HRNW)-\u00a0Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has defended the newly established Makkah Joint Defence Agreement between T\u00fcrkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, rejecting criticism that the alliance should already have demonstrated its effectiveness amid the renewed conflict in Yemen.<\/p>\n
Speaking at a panel on T\u00fcrkiye-US relations in New York on September 21, Fidan was asked about criticism of the agreement following increased Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia. He responded by referring to NATO\u2019s collective-defence mechanism and asked former US ambassador James Jeffrey how often Article 5 had been invoked during his career.<\/p>\n
Fidan noted that NATO has formally invoked Article 5 only once, following the September 11, 2001 attacks, and argued that the new Makkah agreement should not be judged against the decades-long conflict in Yemen simply because Houthi attacks have intensified.<\/p>\n
The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, signed by Pakistan, T\u00fcrkiye and Saudi Arabia on August 7, provides that an armed attack against one member is to be treated as an attack against all three. The countries are currently working on mechanisms to institutionalize the agreement and coordinate its implementation.<\/p>\n
Fidan has previously said that assistance under the agreement could range from intelligence-sharing and logistical support to the deployment of military units, depending on the nature and scale of a threat.<\/p>\n
The comments came as T\u00fcrkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia continued consultations over the regional security situation. Foreign ministers from the three countries met in New York on September 24 to review progress toward establishing the agreement\u2019s institutional structures and to discuss regional security issues.<\/p>\n
A joint statement issued earlier by T\u00fcrkiye, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Egypt reaffirmed support for Saudi Arabia\u2019s security and called for dialogue and diplomacy as the means of achieving a sustainable resolution to regional conflicts.<\/p>\n
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