Turkey provides Saudi Arabia with defense support — Jerusalem Post
Turkey is providing Saudi Arabia with primarily defensive and technical military support to counter the Houthis in Yemen. According to the Jerusalem Post, two officials reported this on October 7.
Equipment, intelligence and logistics
A Turkish official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the assistance includes military equipment, weapons systems and intelligence sharing. According to him, there have so far been no other forms of force deployment under the new defense alliance.
A U.S. official familiar with the situation said Ankara had decided to provide capabilities that are primarily defensive in nature. These include support for strategic planning, logistical assistance, drone operators, improvements to defensive measures, as well as intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Three-state defense agreement
Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a Joint Defense Agreement in Mecca in August, stipulating that an armed attack on one of its participants would be considered an attack on all. On Monday, the countries said they had agreed to immediately fulfill collective defense commitments and ensure the rapid deployment of military forces and assets in Saudi Arabia.
Turkish support, including air defense systems, is for now being provided mainly on a bilateral basis, as Turkey's parliament has not yet ratified the agreement. Officials noted that after ratification, the scale and nature of the assistance could increase. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that participants in a meeting in Riyadh discussed support for Saudi Arabia's defense capabilities.
This week, Yemeni government forces, supported by coalition aircraft led by Saudi Arabia, launched a counteroffensive to retake strategic territory near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, an international maritime route for energy exports and other trade.
