Turkey signals military support for Saudi Arabia against Houthis

Ankara: Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan signalled technical military support for Saudi Arabia against attacks by Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen, in line with last month’s Mecca Defence Alliance.

“There may be military needs, particularly in certain technical areas, and we would have no problem meeting them,” Fidan said in an NTV interview late Saturday when asked whether Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia would activate the trilateral defence agreement. Pakistan, the third member of the alliance, has also pledged military support to the kingdom.

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Saudi Arabia is being drawn deeper into the regional fallout from the war with Iran, facing intensifying attacks as Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen target western cities and energy infrastructure. On Saturday, Riyadh said it intercepted a ballistic missile headed for the capital and thwarted separate Houthi attacks on civilian sites.

The attacks are testing the new defence pact linking Saudi Arabia with Turkey and Pakistan, both US partners, as the two countries signal support for Riyadh without committing to a wider military intervention.

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“We see very serious attacks against Saudi Arabia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty,” Fidan said. Three days earlier, his ministry condemned the Houthis over a drone attack on Mecca, Islam’s holiest city. “Under our alliance, we stand by our word,” Fidan said.