Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Monday that Saudi Arabia is taking a highly constructive approach toward reaching a solution to the Yemen issue, noting that Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan had discussed ways to resolve the dispute between Yemen and Saudi Arabia peacefully through dialogue.
Fidan said an extraordinary meeting of the Political and Strategic Committee for Joint Defense, established under the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, was held on Monday because of developments in Yemen. He added that institutionalizing the agreement had already been on the committee’s agenda.
The meeting discussed issues related to establishing the agreement’s institutional framework, including the structure of its secretariat and the appointment and approval of its new secretary-general. Fidan said efforts to institutionalize the Mecca Joint Defense Alliance had reached their final stages.
The Turkish foreign minister said participants also discussed ways to resolve the issue between Yemen and Saudi Arabia peacefully and through dialogue.
“Saudi Arabia has a highly constructive approach to resolving this issue. We had the opportunity to hear their views again and exchanged some of our own,” Fidan said.
He noted that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had demonstrated a clear willingness to address the issue and that certain decisions had been taken reflecting that commitment.
Fidan added that Defense Minister Yasar Guler and Chief of General Staff General Selcuk Bayraktaroglu presented productive views on military, operational and technical matters.
“We discussed what can be done institutionally, militarily and technically, where we are heading, how to consolidate our institutional position within the Mecca Defense Alliance, and what can be done regarding the current problem we are facing. It was a productive day,” he said.
Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey held an emergency meeting of the Political and Defense Strategic Committee of the Mecca Defense Alliance in Riyadh on Monday to discuss security developments and threats facing Saudi Arabia.
According to a joint statement issued after the meeting, the committee decided to immediately move toward the practical implementation of collective defense commitments and take the necessary measures to provide the agreed military forces and capabilities and ensure their rapid deployment in Saudi Arabia, in accordance with approved arrangements and the parties’ national laws.
The move is intended to strengthen military readiness and integration, as well as the three countries’ collective ability to confront and respond to threats.
Source: Agencies
