Saudi places restrictions on Yemen officials over fears of ties with Turkey

The Saudi-led coalition has reportedly imposed restrictions on the movements of Yemeni officials in the internationally recognised government of President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, according to a report yesterday by the Yemen Press Agency.

According to the news agency, aviation sources at Aden airport disclosed that the coalition is tightening travel procedures to and from Yemen. The measures are reportedly aimed at tracking the flights of officials in Hadi’s government traveling between Aden, Turkey and Qatar, amid concerns that some of Hadi’s officials are secretly forging alliances with Turkey.

The restrictions follow speculation that Ankara is seeking greater involvement in Yemen with several Hadi officials having travelled between Aden, Cairo, Doha and Istanbul.

READ: After Libya, will Turkey defeat the UAE in Yemen?

UAE-funded media has increasingly reported on allegations that Turkey is intervening in Yemen, through supporting the Islah-party, widely viewed as an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood, although such links have been denied by the group. However, Turkey recently announced it will lead the anti-piracy Joint Task Force CTF-151 in the Gulf of Aden.

Earlier in the month, it was also reported that Saudi had begun expelling Hadi officials from hotels and forced them into cheap, rented apartments in a modest building. In May, the Yemeni officials were formally given notice to vacate the hotels as the kingdom was no longer able to financially support their residence.

READ: Turkey: ‘UAE uses famine as weapon to impose sovereignty’