Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan spoke by phone on Friday with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan to discuss developments in Yemen, Turkish diplomatic sources told the state-run Anadolu news agency.
The sources did not give details.
The calls came as fighting in southern and eastern Yemen has widened a public rift between Saudi Arabia and the UAE, two partners that intervened together in Yemen in 2015 to back the country’s internationally recognized government against the Iran-aligned Houthi movement, which controls the capital of Sanaa and much of the north.
The current escalation centers on the Southern Transitional Council (STC), a southern separatist force backed by the UAE. The STC pushed into parts of Hadhramaut and Al-Mahra in December, territory near Saudi Arabia’s border, and along key ports and energy infrastructure, prompting Saudi-backed government forces to try to roll back its gains.
Saudi Arabia has accused the UAE of pushing the STC to expand militarily along the kingdom’s southern frontier. Abu Dhabi has denied directing the STC and has called for restraint and dialogue.
In recent days the UAE said it would withdraw its remaining troops from Yemen after Saudi Arabia backed a demand for them to leave, while Saudi-backed forces launched a campaign to retake areas seized by the STC.
The STC, which says the south has been marginalized by successive governments, has said it wants a path to independence and has talked about holding an independence referendum within two years, deepening the split inside Yemen’s anti-Houthi camp. Yemen’s government rejects separatism and says it is committed to the country’s unity.
Saudi Arabia has also moved to pull Yemeni factions back to talks, backing a proposal by Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) chairman Rashad al-Alimi for a Saudi-hosted forum aimed at reconciling southern groups, including the STC, according to Reuters.