ANKARA: Turkey has submitted the Mecca Defense Alliance agreement to parliament for ratification, an Al Arabiya correspondent reported on Tuesday.

The move would pave the way for Ankara to implement the provisions of the joint defense agreement signed with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.

The joint defense agreement, known as the Mecca Defense Alliance, establishes a trilateral defense partnership between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey.

The latest development comes amid a sharp escalation in regional tensions, with Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militia launching a series of missile and drone attacks against Saudi Arabia, including attempts to target the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, according to Saudi authorities.