Turkey Says It Will Assess Saudi Arabia’s Defence Needs Under Makkah Agreement
ANKARA:Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has said that Saudi Arabia may have certain military requirements following the ongoing attacks by Yemen’s Houthi movement, adding that Türkiye will assess those defence and military needs in detail with Pakistan under the Makkah Agreement.
Speaking about the tense situation in the Middle East, Fidan said the Houthi militia in Yemen had continued attacks against Saudi Arabia. However, he said proposals aimed at ending the conflict had been sent to all relevant parties in an effort to bring an end to the fighting in the region.
Fidan stressed that involving Saudi Arabia in the US-Iran conflict was unacceptable. He said the ongoing crisis in the Middle East was becoming economically unsustainable for the world, prompting Türkiye to send proposals not only to countries in the region but also to Russia and Ukraine for an immediate cessation of hostilities in the Black Sea.
Meanwhile, the Saudi-led Arab military coalition has claimed that its air defence systems intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by Yemen’s Houthis towards the Saudi capital, Riyadh.
Coalition spokesman Major General Turki Al-Maliki said the Houthis had also attempted to target civilians and sensitive civilian infrastructure in Riyadh, Bishah, Taif, Farasan and Yanbu. He said the attacks were intercepted and destroyed in the air by Saudi Arabia’s advanced defence systems.
International news agencies reported that loud explosions were heard in Riyadh during the attack, while clouds of smoke were reportedly seen near King Khalid International Airport. No casualties were reported.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree, however, claimed that the group had targeted sensitive military sites in Riyadh and key facilities belonging to Saudi oil giant Aramco in Yanbu with drones and ballistic missiles.
The claims from the Saudi-led coalition and the Houthi movement could not be independently reconciled in the information provided.
