India, Oct. 27 -- A Turkish parliamentary committee approved a defense agreement with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan on Tuesday, as tensions between Riyadh and the Iran-backed Houthi rebels grow. The defence agreement commits the sides to regard an armed attack against one as an attack on all three. It was approved by the foreign affairs committee with the votes of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling party and its allies, despite objections from the opposition.

The agreement now goes to the full assembly for a debate and a vote. No date has been set. The 16-article Mecca Joint Defence Agreement also paves the way for military cooperation, joint weapons production, technology transfers and intelligence sharing. The pact binds the parties f...