Turkey planning mandate to send military personnel to Saudi Arabia under Mecca pact, ruling party official says

​Turkey will ​submit to parliament ‌a mandate ​allowing for military personnel to be deployed ‌to Saudi Arabia under its joint defence pact with Saudi Arabia and ‌Pakistan, a lawmaker from the ruling ‌AK Party told Reuters on Wednesday. The lawmaker said the mandate would be ⁠sent ​to parliament once ⁠a bill ratifying the accord has ⁠been approved.

Turkey submitted the Mecca Joint ​Defence Agreement — signed by the three ⁠countries in August — to parliament for ratification ⁠on ​Tuesday, moving NATO's second-largest army closer to a formal mutual ⁠defence pledge with Riyadh as it ⁠faces Houthi ⁠attacks.