OMM Newsroom
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reaffirmed his support for Saudi Arabia following Houthi attacks in Yemen, as U.S. President Donald Trump considers a possible Turkish role in the Yemen conflict.
According to the Turkish Presidential Administration, Erdoğan spoke by phone with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Tuesday.
Erdoğan expressed solidarity with Riyadh over attacks by Yemen’s Ansar Allah movement, also known as the Houthis, and said he was confident the crisis would be resolved. “We will overcome this challenge,” he told the Saudi crown prince.
The call came after Trump said he might ask Erdoğan to intervene to help Saudi Arabia. “I think President Erdoğan would do what I asked,” Trump told reporters, without specifying what role Turkey might play. Ankara has not publicly commented on Trump’s remarks.
Houthi attacks heighten regional tensions
The diplomatic contacts came amid rising tensions following a series of Houthi attacks targeting Saudi Arabia, including its international airport in Riyadh.
Saudi Arabia has carried out hundreds of airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen, raising concerns that the conflict could spread across the wider region.
The Houthis, who control much of northern Yemen, have repeatedly clashed with forces backed by Saudi Arabia during the country’s long-running civil war. An increase in missile and drone attacks has heightened concerns about regional security, particularly the safety of critical infrastructure such as energy facilities.
Ankara seeks balance between defense commitments and diplomacy
Ankara’s position is further complicated by the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement signed in August by Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey. Under the agreement, an attack on one of the three countries is considered an attack on the others.
Erdoğan said on Monday that the agreement would be submitted to parliament for ratification within days. However, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan ruled out Turkey’s participation in offensive operations and stressed that the agreement is strictly defensive in nature.
According to sources at Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Fidan also spoke by phone with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Tuesday. The two discussed the regional situation and diplomatic options.
The contacts indicate that, amid mounting regional tensions, Ankara is seeking to balance support for Saudi Arabia’s security with keeping diplomatic channels open.
