Turkey offers support to Saudi military as Houthi attacks test new defence pact

ANKARA: Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan claimed on Saturday that Saudi Arabia may require military assistance due to persistent assaults by Yemen's Houthi rebels. Turkey is prepared to aid in accordance with a trilateral defense pact involving Pakistan. "We detect intense assaults on Saudi Arabia's territorial integrity and sovereignty.

Our pact agreement obliges us to stand in firm solidarity on this matter. They might require military aid, particularly in technical matters. We would have no reservations about fulfilling these requests," Fidan stated to broadcaster NTV. The joint defense pact, signed last month, declares that an armed attack on any of the three countries will be considered an attack on all of them.

The Houthis, who govern much of Yemen, have been launching attacks against Saudi Arabia since declaring a naval blockade against Riyadh in July. These attacks have struck Saudi cities, energy installations, and shipping, endangering global oil supplies and the main alternate Red Sea route for Gulf exports while traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked.

President Donald Trump has rejected Saudi pleas for military assistance to combat the Houthis, who reached a truce with the U.S. last year after Washington bombed the group for two months. Fidan emphasized that it would be unacceptable for Saudi Arabia to be drawn into the U.S.-Iran conflict, as it has no intention of engaging in such a war.

He added, without providing more details, that proposals have been extended to all parties to end the fighting. "There are numerous initiatives, but the parties need to accept them," he mentioned. "While the crisis was initially tolerated to a certain extent, the economic repercussions have now surpassed tolerable limits." Turkey, which possesses the second-largest army within NATO, has stated that the pact with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia is open to expansion and does not intend to replace any current alliances.

Earlier on Saturday, Yemen's Houthis announced they had launched attacks on "sensitive" locations in Saudi Arabia's capital, Riyadh, using missiles and drones, just hours after flames and a hefty plume of smoke were observed near the city's principal airport. Turkey has condemned the Houthi attacks and called for them to cease immediately.