The Houthis announced that the Turkish dry cargo ship “Anadolu S” was targeted in international waters in the Red Sea. Thus, a new and escalating development was noted in the security tension in the shipping lanes passing through the coast of Yemen.
The Houthis justified their attack, using ballistic missiles and naval torpedoes as usual, as a response to the rejection of the ship in the so-called blockade of ports linked to Israel.
According to observers, this development, which occurred 22 days after the last similar attack carried out by the Houthis, showed that the Iran-backed organization continues to escalate its armed activities in the region.
Yahya Sari, the spokesman for the Houthi armed wing, said in a statement yesterday that their naval forces directly and precisely targeted the dry cargo ship Anadolu S sailing in the Red Sea with ballistic missiles and naval torpedoes.
The Panamanian-flagged dry cargo ship named Anadolu S, owned by the Turkish company Oras Shipping, was attacked with two missiles while sailing in the Gulf of Aden on 17 and 18 November.
Precision Attack
According to statements by Houthi leaders, this was a precision attack. These statements revealed the determination of the Houthi leaders to target the ship under the pretext of a Palestinian victory in the Israeli war in the Gaza Strip and to continue their activities that increase security tension in the important waterway off the coast of Yemen.
Ankara has not yet commented on the Houthi attack on the Turkish dry cargo ship. Observers are eagerly awaiting what measures the Turkish government will take to protect its ships, which are an important artery for the Turkish economy, which is facing many challenges in a vital and important region for itself.
Erdogan’s anti-Israeli profile is deteriorating
This situation is particularly evident in President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s view of Israel’s violations against the Palestinians, who seems keen to present Turkey as a decisive and leading regional player while maintaining warm relations with Iran, the largest decision-maker in the Arab region and a supporter of the Houthis. It has also raised some expectations about the nature of Turkey’s action, as he has made harsh statements on the issue.
Turkey’s failure to protect its interests in international corridors will embarrass Erdogan and his government in the eyes of domestic public opinion and damage the image that Ankara has long been trying to project as a geopolitical strategy that meets Turkey’s interests and ambitions.
The attacks carried out by the Houthis did not cause any damage or injuries to the crew of the ship carrying dry food to the port of Karachi, and the ship continued on its normal course.
10 of the 22 crew members on the ship were Turkish citizens.
