Turkey sending technical, defensive support to Saudi Arabia to help fight Houthis, officials say
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, speaking to the media after a meeting of the Mecca alliance, said the sides had discussed what support to provide Saudi Arabia for its defensive capabilities.
Turkey is dispatching defensive and technical aid to Saudi Arabia to aid in its fight against the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen, according to two officials on Wednesday. This follows pledges by Turkey and Pakistan to fulfill the collective defense commitment of their newly formed alliance, the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, signed in August. The alliance, comprising Turkey, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia, is working towards setting parameters for cooperation in response to Houthi attacks.
On Monday, the nations announced their intention to swiftly implement collective defense commitments and ensure rapid deployment of military forces and capabilities in Saudi Arabia. Turkey, with its second-largest army in NATO and a robust defense industry, has condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and expressed willingness to assist Riyadh in meeting its technical military needs.
The Turkish official with anonymity revealed that the support from Turkey would primarily be in the form of military equipment, intelligence sharing, and weapons systems, with no other deployment as part of the alliance thus far.
The nature and extent of Turkish support may increase after the ratification of the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement by Turkey's parliament. A US official briefed on the situation stated that Turkey has decided to provide defensive capabilities, including strategic planning support, logistical assistance, drone operators, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, during a meeting of the Mecca alliance in Riyadh, mentioned that discussions took place on providing Saudi Arabia support for defensive capabilities, involving the Defence Minister and Chief of General Staff.
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- Houthis claim dawn drone and missile strikes on Saudi and Yemeni airports thenationalnews.com
- Yemen’s Houthis claim strikes on Aden, Riyadh airports dw.com
- Turkey sending technical, defensive support to Saudi Arabia to help fight Houthis, officials say al-monitor.com
- Saudi airports activate e-gates to speed up pilgrim departures english.ajel.sa
- Yemen’s Houthis attack Aden airport; Saudi forces down missile near Riyadh aljazeera.com
