Yemeni minister welcomes Turkish aid

By Zeynep Hilal Karyagdi

ADEN, Yemen

Yemeni Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Mohammed Saeed al-Saidi on Wednesday welcomed the Turkish aid delivered to his war-torn country.

According to Yemen’s official SABA news agency, the Yemeni minister met Turkish Ambassador to Yemen Levent Eler in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

In the meeting, cooperation and coordination issues regarding the reconstruction and post-war period of Yemen were discussed.

Expressing his appreciation for Turkey's supports to Yemen, al-Saidi said: “Turkey has provided humanitarian aid to Yemen, which has struggled with a civil war for over three years.”

"Turkey will continue to support Yemen. It is important to support the development and stabilization process of Yemen," Eler said.

Impoverished Yemen has remained wracked by violence since 2014, when the Houthis overran much of the country, including capital Sanaa.

The conflict escalated in 2015 when Saudi Arabia and its Sunni-Arab allies -- who accuse the Shia Houthis of serving as Iranian proxies -- launched a massive air campaign in Yemen aimed at rolling back Houthi gains.