Turkey will not send troops to Saudi Arabia to launch attacks on Yemen, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Thursday, stressing that any Turkish military deployment to the kingdom would be strictly defensive.Speaking at a news conference in Ankara, Fidan said the Mecca Defence Pact was not an offensive agreement and would not be used to justify attacks on the territory of another country.This is not an offensive pact. Turkey will not send troops there with the intention of attacking another country’s territory, he said.Earlier this week, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan agreed to discuss the deployment of troops and military equipment to strengthen Saudi Arabia’s security and express solidarity with the kingdom amid attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels.Fidan said military representatives from the three countries would assess Saudi Arabia’s defence requirements before determining what kind of assistance Turkey and Pakistan could provide.He added that preparations to submit the Mecca pact to the Turkish parliament had been completed and that Ankara had decided to forward it as soon as possible. Our preparations are almost complete, he said. Possible deployment of additional troops and aircraftA report by Middle East Eye on Tuesday said Turkey was planning to send additional personnel, pilots and aircraft to protect critical infrastructure in Saudi Arabia in the coming weeks. Any further troop deployment, however, would depend on parliamentary approval.According to the report, Turkey has maintained technical teams, air defence systems and electronic warfare equipment in Saudi Arabia since last year to help protect key infrastructure, including energy facilities.A senior Turkish official told Middle East Eye that Ankara would send additional military equipment, technical experts, emergency response teams and combat-capable personnel to support them.Under a military training agreement signed between Saudi Arabia and Turkey in 2010, Ankara could deploy a limited number of troops for technical duties, the official said. However, additional troop deployments beyond that arrangement would require approval from the Turkish parliament under the country’s constitution.Another Turkish official said Ankara was considering deploying troops at one or more Saudi military command bases to assist with the kingdom’s defence. Their role would remain limited to defensive operations.If parliament grants formal approval, a limited number of Turkish special forces personnel could also be deployed to Saudi Arabia. Approval could come towards the end of this month, according to the report.Sources familiar with the plan told Middle East Eye that Turkey would also send experienced pilots and aircraft to Saudi Arabia after parliamentary approval. The number of personnel and aircraft has not been disclosed.The aircraft and personnel would be used to counter drones and ballistic missiles launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, the sources said.We are not planning to send a large number of troops. Nor do we have any plans for direct military intervention in Yemen, the senior Turkish official said. He added that Ankara still believed diplomatic efforts could succeed in the coming months.Source: Middle East Eye