The situation in Yemen is high on the agenda in Turkish foreign policy. The conflict with Houthis that spilled over into Saudi Arabia prompted Türkiye to offer assistance to Riyadh as part of a new defense alliance. Amid these developments, Yemen’s Foreign Minister Afrah al-Zouba met Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Istanbul on Saturday, one day after a key meeting there between Fidan and top European and regional diplomats. In an interview with Anadolu Agency (AA) al-Zouba praised Türkiye’s growing role in the region and lauded their deep-rooted ties, which date back to the Ottoman era.
“Türkiye is a very important, strategic and central country in the region. We have historical, strong ties of brotherhood. We appreciate the roles Türkiye assumed in the region,” al-Zouba said. She stated that political and diplomatic activities led by Türkiye are appreciated and they believed that Ankara had an important role in maintaining security and stability in the region.
She said that her talks with Fidan focused on Yemen’s stand on current developments and escalation of Houthi attacks. The minister said Fidan expressed Türkiye’s support to Yemen, the Yemeni government and Türkiye’s sincere desire for security and stability in her country.
The Houthis have been at war since 2014 with Yemen's internationally recognised government.
Following an uneasy four-year truce, fighting reignited in July, months into the U.S.-Iran conflict that has plunged the wider region into crisis.
The conflict in Yemen has killed hundreds of thousands of people in one of the world's poorest countries, which was already suffering a vast humanitarian crisis.
Saudi Arabia has come under sustained attack from Houthis this month, including strikes on Riyadh's international airport that killed 13 people, the kingdom's deadliest attack in years.
Türkiye, which recently joined a defense pact with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, has expressed solidarity with the kingdom. On Friday, ministers from Britain, France, Germany and Italy met in Istanbul with counterparts from Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Egypt to discuss security in Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb, as well as Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia.
Al-Zouba said the military operation launched against the Houthis aims to “restore control over the country’s sovereign decision-making,” adding that “the Houthis are trying to turn our country, Yemen, into a platform that threatens the region and the world.”
Recalling that Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council Chair Rashad al-Alimi launched “Operation Yemen Dawn” on Oct. 5, 2026, al-Zouba explained the reasons for and objectives of the operation: “The aim of Operation Yemen Dawn is to liberate the country and the Yemeni people from the control of the terrorist Houthi militias. We aim to restore the state’s strength and reestablish its control over Yemen’s sovereign decision-making.”
She stressed that the new military operation launched in the country aims to prevent the Houthis from threatening Yemenis and their future. She said they also seek to prevent the Houthis from becoming a threat to maritime traffic in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. Pointing out that the Houthis are seeking to destroy both Yemen’s present and its future, Zouba said: “The Houthis are trying to turn Yemen into a platform that threatens the region and the world. Their threats to maritime traffic in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait in recent years are a clear indication of this.”
Drawing attention to the threat posed by the Houthis, whom she described as terrorists, to regional and international security, al-Zouba said: “The Houthis are also violating Yemen’s sovereignty by cooperating with terrorist organizations in the Horn of Africa and other regions. They are also trying to turn Yemen into a base for attacks against its neighbors. Their terrorist attacks against Saudi Arabia are part of this.”
The Houthis are not a group that believes in diplomacy or negotiation processes leading to peace, al-Zouba said. “The reason the war has lasted so long is that the international community, like us, believed for a long time that the problem in Yemen could be resolved peacefully. We pursued the peace process repeatedly and moved from one round of negotiations to another. However, the Houthis used the peace process and negotiation rounds to acquire weapons and develop their capabilities. As a result, they became a real force threatening Yemen, the region and the world.”
No partners for peace
She said that they believe the international community and Yemen’s neighboring countries have now come to the conclusion that the Houthis are not, and cannot be, genuine partners for peace.
“The Houthis pose a serious threat to security and peace in Yemen and the region,” she said.
Certain conditions must be met to achieve peace in Yemen, the minister highlighted. “The foremost among these are disarmament, the restoration of state institutions and the transformation of the Houthis into a political component within Yemen’s political system. The Houthis must not have the right or the capacity to engage in terrorism in Yemen or the region,” she explained.
She said the Houthis have used every period of peace and peace talks to acquire weapons, develop their military capabilities and threaten the future of Yemenis, the region and the world.
Al-Zouba said that they therefore believe the necessary conditions must be established for genuine, just and lasting peace in the country. “Achieving peace requires the implementation of the agreed-upon fundamental references, including United Nations Security Council Resolution 2216, the outcomes of the Comprehensive National Dialogue Conference and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) initiative,” she outlined.
She said the Houthis had spent the past 12 years developing their arms capabilities with Iran’s support since seizing the capital, Sanaa, and several strategic areas along the Red Sea coast.
“Thanks to the knowledge and expertise provided by Iranian specialists, the Houthis have acquired a certain capacity to manufacture or assemble some weapons components in Yemen,” she said.
Addressing the siege of Taiz province in southwestern Yemen, which has been partially besieged by the Houthis since 2015 and has faced intensified Houthi attacks since last month, she continued: “Taiz is a densely populated province located in the heart of Yemen. Approximately 4 million people live across the province. The Houthis have been trying to besiege Taiz for 12 years but have failed to achieve their goal. Taiz has become a city that resists the Houthis.”
She said the Houthis continue to shell the city and its neighborhoods, adding that their ongoing blockade prevents civilians in Taiz from accessing water, food, medicine and fuel.
There is strong resistance against the Houthis in Taiz, the minister said, and added: “This resistance has taught the Houthis a major lesson in determination and resilience in recent weeks. The resistance in Taiz has demonstrated that the people reject the pressure, oppression and practices of the Houthi militias.”