Turkey’s president in contact with Saudi Arabia’s crown prince supported the country’s plan to form a multinational naval defense alliance with the aim of protecting international shipping routes and global trade.

In a call with Mohammed bin Salman, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, while condemning and strongly opposing attacks by the Houthi militias on ships in the Red Sea, emphasized Turkey’s full support for Saudi Arabia.

During the talks, the two sides also discussed regional developments, bilateral relations, and ways to support and strengthen these ties.

Following attacks by Houthi forces supported by the Islamic Republic of Iran on Saudi ships, Saudi Arabia proposed a multinational naval defense alliance which, according to Saudi officials, is an international defense initiative.