Turkey's foreign minister to meet Yemen's new foreign chief amid Red Sea shipping threats

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan is set to meet Yemen’s foreign minister Afrah Abdulaziz Al-Zuba in Istanbul on Saturday, focusing on bilateral ties, the Yemen conflict and escalating threats to key maritime routes. The talks come as renewed Houthi offensives have captured Mocha and positions near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, raising alarms over the safety of the Red Sea-Gulf of Aden corridor. Fidan is expected to reaffirm Turkey’s backing of Yemen’s territorial integrity, the internationally recognised government, and to press for a durable political solution while denouncing attacks on civilians.

Al-Zuba, Yemen’s first female foreign minister, will deliver a written note from Presidential Leadership Council chairman Rashad Muhammad Al-Alimi to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The agenda also includes cooperation on maritime security for both the Bab el-Mandeb and the Strait of Hormuz, and broader regional stability. Her visit follows a series of diplomatic trips to Gulf states aimed at strengthening state-building assistance and coordination with Ankara. Both sides hope the dialogue can mitigate the impact of the conflict on global trade routes.