Ankara, September 25 (V7N)- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said that any response under the Mecca Defense Pact would depend on the circumstances, needs and requests of the member country facing an attack.
In an interview with US-based Newsweek, Erdoğan said a member nation under attack could receive support including intelligence, logistical assistance and ammunition.
He added that more advanced military assistance could also be considered depending on the severity of the threat and the circumstances surrounding the attack.
Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan signed a mutual defense pact in Mecca last August. Within weeks of the agreement, Saudi Arabia came under missile and drone attacks.
The attacks have been attributed to Iran-backed Houthi forces amid the continuing conflict in Yemen.
However, Erdoğan said it would be incorrect to assume that the pact requires an automatic military response whenever a member country is attacked.
"It would not be appropriate at this stage to envision a scenario of automatic military response for any incident occurring in Iraq, Yemen, or elsewhere," he said.
Erdoğan said the nature and extent of any assistance would instead be determined by assessing the circumstances, the level of the threat, and the specific needs and requests of the affected member.
The comments indicate that the defense pact provides for a response based on individual circumstances rather than an automatic military intervention in every case.
END/SMA/AJ
