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Yemen’s foreign minister praised Türkiye’s regional role and longstanding bilateral ties on Oct. 24, saying Ankara’s diplomatic efforts were important for maintaining regional security amid renewed fighting in Yemen and growing threats to international shipping.
Afrah al-Zouba made the remarks after meeting Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Istanbul, where the two discussed bilateral relations, developments in Yemen and the wider region and efforts to strengthen cooperation.
“Türkiye is an extremely important, strategic and central country in the region,” al-Zouba said in an interview with state-run Anadolu Agency, emphasizing the historical ties and strong relations between the two countries.
She said Yemen welcomed Türkiye’s political and diplomatic initiatives and appreciated its role in supporting regional security and stability.
During the meeting, al-Zouba briefed Fidan on developments in Yemen and what she described as an escalation in attacks by the Iran-backed Houthi group. Fidan reaffirmed Türkiye’s support for Yemen and its government, as well as Ankara’s desire to help establish security and stability in the country, she said.
Al-Zouba’s visit comes as fighting between Yemen’s internationally recognized government and the Houthis intensifies, raising concerns about security in the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a strategic maritime corridor connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.
She said a lasting peace in Yemen would require disarmament, the restoration of state institutions and the integration of the Houthis into the country’s political system as a political group without the capacity to conduct armed attacks.
Any settlement, she added, should be based on the Gulf Cooperation Council initiative, the outcomes of Yemen’s National Dialogue Conference and relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions, including Resolution 2216.
The conflict in Yemen began escalating in 2014, when the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa and other parts of the country, forcing the internationally recognized government to relocate. A Saudi-led coalition intervened in March 2015 to support the government.
Türkiye has backed Yemen’s internationally recognized government and repeatedly emphasized the importance of the country’s unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity, while calling for efforts to restore security and stability.
