Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan is scheduled to meet Yemen’s top diplomat, Afrah Abdulaziz Al-Zuba, in Istanbul on Saturday to discuss bilateral relations, efforts to end Yemen’s conflict and growing threats to international shipping routes.
The Oct. 24 meeting comes as renewed fighting in Yemen raises concerns over security in the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a strategic maritime chokepoint connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. The talks are also expected to address regional instability and the need to restore safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
According to Turkish Foreign Ministry sources, Fidan will reaffirm Türkiye’s support for Yemen’s territorial integrity, national unity and internationally recognized government. He is also expected to stress the need for a lasting political settlement and condemn Houthi attacks targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure.
Particular attention is expected to focus on maritime security, with both the Bab el-Mandeb and Strait of Hormuz central to concerns over the safety and freedom of international navigation.
Al-Zuba’s visit marks her first bilateral foreign trip since becoming Yemen’s foreign minister in July. She also arrived in Istanbul carrying a written message from Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad Muhammad Al-Alimi for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Her appointment was part of a limited cabinet reshuffle in the internationally recognized government led by Prime Minister Shaya Mohsen Al-Zindani. She became the first woman to serve as Yemen’s foreign minister and one of the most senior female officials in the country’s government. She was sworn in before Al-Alimi in Riyadh on July 29.
Al-Zuba previously served as minister of planning and international cooperation, taking up the position in February 2026. She brings more than 25 years of experience in development, public administration, institutional governance and peacebuilding.
Originally from Al-Bayda in central Yemen, she trained as a pharmacist at Sana’a University before earning a master’s degree in community health and health economics in Malaysia and an MBA in Yemen. She also headed the Executive Bureau for the Acceleration of Donor Pledges Absorption and the Execution of Reform Policies, coordinating with international partners, including the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen.
Her experience also includes participation in Yemen’s National Dialogue Conference following the 2011 uprising, which sought to establish a framework for political reform and address longstanding divisions in the country.
Since her appointment, Al-Zuba has visited Gulf countries as part of her diplomatic engagements. Her trip to Türkiye comes as Yemeni officials seek stronger cooperation with Ankara on rebuilding state institutions, improving public services and coordinating diplomatic efforts in support of the internationally recognized government.
The discussions in Istanbul are expected to underscore Türkiye’s longstanding position in support of Yemen’s sovereignty and internationally recognized authorities, alongside its call for a negotiated settlement to the conflict that escalated into a full-scale war in 2014-2015.
The meeting comes amid renewed fighting along Yemen’s Red Sea coast. According to reports cited in the background to the talks, Houthi forces advanced in September, capturing the port of Mocha, also known as Mokha, and positions around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, including Mayyun Island, also called Perim Island.
The reported advances heightened concerns over the security of one of the world’s most strategically important shipping corridors. The Bab el-Mandeb serves as a gateway between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, linking maritime traffic to the Suez Canal route, a major passage for international trade and energy shipments. Commercial shipping through the strait had already declined sharply from pre-crisis levels.
In early October, Yemeni government forces, backed by the Saudi-led coalition, launched a counteroffensive known as Operation Dawn of Yemen. Government-aligned forces reported advances in the Dhubab district and movements toward Mocha and positions overlooking the strait, supported by Saudi airstrikes.
Fighting has also intensified around Taiz, where Houthi forces have sought to increase pressure on areas held by the government. Attacks on Saudi targets and threats against commercial shipping have added to regional tensions, while security concerns around the Strait of Hormuz have further complicated the maritime picture.
The Istanbul talks will bring these interconnected challenges to the forefront of Türkiye-Yemen relations. Ankara has consistently advocated dialogue as the route to a sustainable settlement while backing Yemen’s sovereignty and internationally recognized institutions.
Türkiye’s Hakan Fidan is set to meet Yemen’s first female foreign minister, Afrah Abdulaziz Al-Zuba, in Istanbul as renewed fighting, Houthi advances and threats to shipping in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait heighten regional tensions, putting Yemen’s political future and the security of vital global trade routes at the center of diplomatic talks.