The Turkish Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan, expressed his support for Saudi Arabia this Saturday after the attacks launched during the day by Houthi rebels against its territory, and reiterated his willingness to "satisfy (the) military needs" of Riyadh within the framework of the Defense Agreement of Mecca signed last August by Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan.
In an interview with the Turkish channel NTV, Fidan denounced "very serious attacks against the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Saudi Arabia" and especially condemned those directed against energy infrastructure, after the Houthis claimed responsibility for a bombing against Saudi Aramco facilities in Yanbu, the largest oil company in the world and state-owned.
The head of Turkish diplomacy indicated that he is "closely monitoring" the evolution of the crisis in the kingdom and emphasized that in Ankara they are "faithful to their word," referring to the commitment to cooperation outlined in the Mecca agreement alongside Islamabad.
When questioned about a possible involvement of Turkey and Pakistan in military operations against the Houthis, the minister pointed out that "military needs in certain technical matters" could arise and stressed that "we will have no difficulty in satisfying them."
Fidan insisted that Saudi Arabia should not be "dragged into the current conflict between Iran and the United States," and lamented that talks between both countries have been stalled for months, which, combined with the escalation of the war in Yemen, makes "the situation increasingly complicated."
The minister stated that there are "many attempts" to stop hostilities, but warned that they "must be accepted" by all parties involved. "We hope that negotiations between the United States and Iran reach a conclusion. If the crisis has been tolerated to a certain extent, its economic repercussions now exceed the tolerable level," he warned.