SANAA
A senior U.S. diplomat has denied reports that his country had delegated the Turkish and Algerian missions in Yemen to manage its affairs in the crisis-hit country following the closure of the U.S. embassy in Sanaa.
"The U.S. did not assign any foreign embassies to manage its affairs in Yemen," the diplomat, requesting anonymity, told The Anadolu Agency on Thursday.
After the U.S. embassy closed on Wednesday and embassy staff had departed Sanaa, some local and foreign news outlets had reported that Washington had delegated the Turkish and Algerian embassies with managing U.S. affairs in the country.
Both the British and U.S. embassies in Sanaa suspended their activities on Wednesday and urged their respective citizens to leave the country immediately, citing "terrorism threats."
The embassy closures came only days after the Shiite Houthi group effectively took over Yemen's government.
The embassy urged U.S. citizens to leave the country immediately, fearing violent demonstrations.
Last week, the Houthi leadership issued a "constitutional declaration" dissolving parliament and establishing a 551-member "transitional council."
The declaration, however, was rejected by most of Yemen's political forces – along with some neighboring countries – which described it as a "coup" against "constitutional legitimacy."
Late last September, the Houthis seized control of Sanaa and have since sought to expand their influence to other provinces farther afield.
Fractious Yemen has remained in the throes of turmoil since autocratic President Ali Abdullah Saleh stepped down in 2012 after a months-long popular uprising against his 33-year rule.
