Turning Red Sea into 'sea of blood': Erdogan lashes out at US, UK air strikes in Yemen
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan
Turkeypresident Recep Tayyip Erdogan has come down heavily on US and UK for striking Houthis rebels in Yemen. In a strong-worded comment he said that the nations are seeking to transform the Red Sea into a 'sea of blood.'
This comesafterErdoganat a recently held rally in Istanbul lashed out at Israel for carrying out "state terrorism" and compared PM Benjamin Netanyahu to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.
Responding to media personnel over the ongoing air strikes by US and UK in Yemen targeting Houthis, the Turkish president said, "All that has been done is a disproportionate use of force."
"At the moment, they are trying to turn the Red Sea into a sea of blood and Yemen, with the Houthis and by using all of its force, says it is and will give the necessary response in the region to the United States, Britain," he added.
Houthis have been attacking ships in the Red Sea region, which holds importance for global transport and trade due to its strategic location and key waterways.
Erdogan said that the Houthis in Yemen are putting up a "very successful defence, response" against the US and the UK attacks. Speaking over its own security amid the escalating situation, Erdogan said that it is in the works to see "how it can protect itself against all that is happening".
Notably, US and EU considerHamas as a terror group but Ankara does not.Turkey had expressed support for Yemeni government.
Watch |Taiwan Elections 2024: Taiwanese head to ballot booths to pick a new president
Other reactions
Commenting on the retaliatory strikes, a NATO spokesperson reportedly said that the “strikes were defensive and designed to preserve freedom of navigation in one of the world's most vital waterways.”
Meanwhile, Iran and Russia havecondemned the strikes by US and British forces.While Iran called the strikes “an arbitrary move” that “clearly breached Yemen’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and was against international laws and regulations", Russia termed it“illegitimate" and an act for “trying to adjust the international law system to its actions.”
(With inputs from agencies)