ANKARA
Turkey said it supports Saudi Arabia's military operations in Yemen against the Shiite Houthi group, which seized the capital Sana'a and several other provinces.
"We support the military operation launched by a coalition force consisting of the countries in the region, led by the countries of Gulf Cooperation Council against the Houthi movement upon the request of the legitimately elected President Hadi, about which Saudi Arabia informed Turkey in advance," the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday.
The statement continued: "We believe that this operation will contribute to the prevention of the threat of civil war and chaos that has emerged and to the restoration of the legitimate state authority."
Condemning the unilateral action by the Houthi militias, Turkey also called on the movement and its foreign supporters to cease “threatening peace and security” in Yemen and the region.
Saudi Arabia launched a military operation early Thursday in Yemen. The Saudi ambassador in Washington D.C., Adel bin Ahmed al-Jubeir, said that the operation was part of a 10-country effort.
In a joint statement, five Gulf countries – Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait – said the operation "was in response to a request from Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi to protect Yemen from the aggression of Houthi militias."
Yemen has been rocked by turmoil since last September, when Houthis overran Sana'a, from where they have sought to extend their influence to other parts of the country. President Hadi was forced to flee the country on Wednesday as rebels attacked.
