Türkiye could establish a military base in Saudi Arabia as Ankara plans to expand its military presence in the kingdom under the framework of the Mecca Defense Pact.

Türkiye is expected to send a limited military contingent and military equipment to Saudi Arabia in the coming weeks. Since 2025, Ankara has maintained more than 200 military personnel and technical teams in the country, along with air defense and electronic warfare systems aimed at protecting critical infrastructure, TASS reports.

The members of the Mecca alliance - Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye - agreed in Riyadh on October 5 to immediately begin implementing their joint defense commitments and deploying military forces.

As part of the arrangement, Türkiye will help protect four key gas and electricity facilities in Saudi Arabia using its short- and medium-range air defense systems. The number of Turkish troops to be deployed to the region is expected to be determined in the coming days.

The deployment of Turkish forces to Saudi Arabia must be approved by the country’s parliament, with a decision expected in October.

The reported plans could further expand Türkiye’s military footprint abroad. According to open-source reports, Türkiye maintains military bases or deployments in 12 countries.

Its largest overseas military presence is in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, where more than 30,000 troops are reportedly stationed. Türkiye also has military facilities or forces in Qatar, Iraq, Syria, Somalia, Libya and several other countries.