Türkiye strongly condemned a Houthi drone attack targeting Mecca. The Foreign Ministry said its support for Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and security would continue.
The ministry called for an immediate end to attacks that also threaten regional stability and security, and urged all parties to avoid steps that could further escalate tensions.
Drone intercepted before entering Mecca’s airspace
The Saudi-led coalition said an unmanned aerial vehicle launched by the Houthis in Yemen was intercepted and destroyed by air defense systems south of Mecca, before entering the city’s restricted airspace.
War has continued in Yemen since the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, in 2014, while the Saudi-led Arab coalition intervened in 2015 to support Yemen’s internationally recognized government.
The Houthis have been clashing again with government forces since July, when they announced that they had imposed a naval blockade on Riyadh. The group also claimed to have made advances along the Red Sea coast and around the Bab al-Mandab Strait, and targeted Saudi Arabia’s oil infrastructure.
Mecca’s security is a shared priority
Türkiye’s Communications Director Burhanettin Duran also condemned the attempted attack targeting Mecca’s sanctity and security. Duran said that every attack targeting Islam’s holy sites wounds the shared conscience of the Muslim world and stated that Mecca’s peace and security were a shared priority.
Referring to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s calls for dialogue and lasting peace, Duran said the Muslim world needed common sense and diplomacy rather than new conflicts. He also reiterated his support for Saudi Arabia.
