YENİ Party Group Deputy Chairman Murat Emir criticized the government in harsh terms regarding the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement. Emir claimed that the agreement could leave Turkey facing a "new Syria danger" and increase the risk of a direct hot conflict with Iran and the Houthis.
In a statement on his social media account, Emir said that Article 2 of the agreement could make Turkey a "partner in an open-ended and major war," and that Article 16 prevents withdrawal from this obligation for 10 years. Emir stated, "Let no one come out and hide behind the excuse that 'we are only sending planes for defensive purposes'."
According to Emir, the agreement does not represent an anti-US or anti-Israel bloc. The YENİ Party's Emir characterized the text as an attempt by Washington to transfer its military burden in the Gulf to regional countries and to impose the cost of protecting Saudi Arabia's energy facilities on the Turkish Armed Forces.
Touching upon the stances of the UK, France, Greece, and Egypt in the region, Emir argued that Turkey has been placed under a heavy obligation by bypassing the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM). Stating that a secretariat based in Saudi Arabia will be established under the agreement, Emir claimed that the text does not include the right for Turkey to veto an operation it does not wish to join.
Emir said that a potential deployment could bring Turkey into direct confrontation with Iran and could also put Turkish merchant ships on the Red Sea and Bab-el-Mandeb line, as well as the Turkish military presence in Somalia, at risk.
The primary duty of the TSK is to protect Turkey's own skies and borders; we will hold them accountable for all the dark points of this agreement one by one on the floor of the TBMM.
News Source: 12punto
