Erdogan calls Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and announces Ankara's solidarity after attacks on Riyadh

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday 13 October 2026 held a phone call with Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, during which they discussed regional developments and the attacks that recently targeted Saudi territory.

During the call Erdogan renewed Turkey's strong condemnation of Houthi attacks on Saudi territory, offered his condolences to the victims of those attacks, affirmed that Ankara will continue to stand by the Kingdom in the coming period and expressed confidence in Saudi Arabia's ability to overcome this challenge.

The call came amid regional escalation following strikes that targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and other facilities in recent days, and accompanied by Gulf and Arab diplomatic measures to support the Kingdom and declarations by several countries of their readiness to provide various forms of assistance.

Developments indicated growing discussions about strengthening regional security arrangements and joint defense agreements bringing together regional parties, while Gulf governments are monitoring the escalation's impact on aviation security and energy supplies.

The call is seen as a sign of rapidly accelerating political coordination between Ankara and Riyadh on Gulf security, while leaving the door open to subsequent steps that could include political or logistical support agreed upon by the two capitals, without the Turkish official statement mentioning operational details or timelines. The call coincided with partial closures in air traffic and travel warnings issued by Western capitals regarding some Saudi airports, in addition to parallel diplomatic moves by Arab capitals that announced support for the Kingdom in various forms.

In the broader context, the Yemen, energy and airspace security dossiers remained present in the context of the call, which was regarded as a political message and a strengthening of practical coordination between the two countries' leadership at this sensitive regional moment.

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