🔻Turkey’s defense minister: We do not intend to enter a military confrontation with Yemen’s Houthis

Yasar Guler, Turkey’s defense minister, said that his country, within the framework of a joint defense agreement with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, does not intend to become involved in a military conflict with Yemen’s Houthis, the Iran-backed group.

Speaking to Turkey’s Star TV network, Guler said: “We have absolutely no intention of getting involved in any kind of fighting with the Houthis.”

He added that any military support by Turkey to Saudi Arabia, such as that country’s military presence in Qatar, would primarily be aimed at strengthening deterrence.

The Turkish defense minister said that Ankara would consider any possible requests from Saudi Arabia for military assistance, and after the defense pact is approved in parliament, it would decide on the type and extent of these contributions in accordance with the legal procedures and the necessary parliamentary authorizations.

The “Joint Defense Agreement of Mecca,” signed in August between Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan, has been submitted to the Turkish parliament this week for approval.

Under this agreement, an armed attack on any one of the three countries will be considered an attack on all of them.