Erdogan: Turkey Will Not Tolerate Iran's Dominance in the Middle East

The President of Turkey accused Iran of attempting to dominate the Middle East, stating that Tehran's efforts have 'exasperated' Ankara, Saudi Arabia, and Gulf Arab countries. Turkey has previously expressed its support for Saudi Arabia's attack on the Shiite Houthi militants in Yemen and called on this militia and its 'foreign supporters' to cease their threatening actions against peace and security in the region. According to Reuters, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced at a press conference on Thursday, April 6, that 'Iran is trying to dominate the region; can we tolerate this? This issue has truly exasperated Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and the Gulf Arab countries. This is really intolerable, and Iran must understand this matter.' Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies have begun bombing positions of the Shiite Houthi forces in Yemen since Thursday. This group is supported by the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Houthis entered Sanaa, the capital of Yemen, last September and placed President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi under house arrest. Hadi managed to escape from Sanaa last month and sought refuge in the southern city of Aden, but recently Houthi forces have advanced toward southern areas and occupied several new regions. The United Nations, Arab countries in the region, and Western nations recognize Mansur Hadi as the official President of Yemen. Erdogan, stating that the situation has escalated into sectarian conflict, urged Iran to cease its actions. He said, 'Iran must change its perspective. Iran must withdraw its forces and everything it has in Yemen, Syria, and Iraq and respect the territorial integrity of these countries.' The statements of the Turkish President come as he is scheduled to visit Iran soon, and according to the Fars news agency, his travel plans remain intact. Iranian officials on Thursday called for an immediate halt to Saudi military operations in Yemen. In another report released on Thursday, Reuters stated that Mr. Erdogan and U.S. President Barack Obama discussed the Yemen crisis over the phone. The U.S. National Security Council reported on its Twitter account that the leaders of the U.S. and Turkey also discussed Iran's nuclear negotiations and cooperation to combat the Islamic State group.