ANKARA, 20 September, 2026 (Ghufran): Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has said that Turkiye is ready to meet Saudi Arabia’s military needs under the Makkah Defence Alliance, amid ongoing attacks by Yemen’s Houthis. Speaking to broadcaster NTV, Fidan said Saudi Arabia was facing serious attacks on its territorial integrity and sovereignty and that Turkiye would have no hesitation in providing assistance, particularly on technical military matters. The joint defence agreement, signed last month by Turkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, stipulates that an armed attack on any one of the three countries would be regarded as an attack on all of them. Fidan said it was unacceptable for Saudi Arabia to be drawn into the US-Iran conflict, stressing that Riyadh had no desire to join the war. He said various proposals had been conveyed to the parties to end the fighting, warning that the economic repercussions of the conflict had become increasingly difficult to tolerate. Turkiye, which has NATO’s second-largest army, has said the Makkah pact is open to expansion and is not intended to replace existing alliances. Pakistan has said there have been no discussions about a military response from Islamabad under the agreement over the Houthi attacks, but stated that it would act when the time comes. Earlier, Yemen’s Houthis claimed attacks on sensitive sites in Riyadh using missiles and drones, while flames and a large plume of smoke were seen near the Saudi capital’s main airport. Turkiye has condemned the Houthi attacks and called for their immediate cessation.