ANKARA — Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia condemned attacks by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militants on Riyadh’s international airport, saying they were a “dangerous escalation that cannot be justified or accepted under any pretext.”
One person was killed and nearly a dozen hurt in a new attack on Riyadh’s international airport on Sunday, Saudi authorities reported, a day after a strike claimed by the Houthis that killed 13 people and wounded more than 300.
The group of regional powers — dubbed the R4 — reaffirmed their solidarity and support for Saudi Arabia, including full support for all “legitimate measures and steps” it takes to counter the attacks, deter threats and prevent them from happening again.
“The group holds the Houthi militia fully accountable for the results of these attacks and any repercussions that come with it that threaten regional and international peace and security, and demands the immediate and unconditional halt of these attacks,” they said in a joint statement on Sunday.
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member Turkey and nuclear-armed Pakistan signed a joint defense pact with Saudi Arabia in August, under which an attack on one party constitutes an attack on all. Last week, the countries said they had agreed to implement their collective defense commitments and ensure the “rapid deployment” of forces and capabilities in Saudi Arabia amid the Houthi attacks.
On Thursday, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Turkey was assessing how it can help Saudi Arabia, but ruled out troop deployment and Turkish participation in offensive operations. A day earlier, officials had told Reuters that Ankara was sending mainly defensive and technical support to Riyadh.
Turkish support for Saudi Arabia has largely been in a bilateral capacity so far, as Turkey’s parliament has not yet officially ratified the joint defense pact. The agreement is expected to be submitted to parliament in the coming days.
Turkey, which has NATO’s second-largest army and a robust defense industry, has provided Saudi Arabia with defense equipment and agreed to join a Saudi-led coalition to ensure navigational safety in the Red Sea. — Reuters