October 14, 2026
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan affirmed his country’s full solidarity with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the face of attacks by the Yemeni Houthi group, announcing that Ankara will refer the “Mecca” joint defense agreement between Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan to Parliament in the coming days to complete the procedures for ratifying it.
Erdogan’s statements came after he chaired a Cabinet meeting, where he condemned in the strongest terms the attacks that targeted the Kingdom, stressing Turkey’s support for the Saudi people in the face of what he described as “illegal and inhumane attacks,” in a move that reflects efforts to strengthen defense coordination between the three countries amid escalating security tensions in the region.
The Turkish President stressed the stability of his country’s position and its regional principles, stressing that Ankara does not deal with developments from a sectarian or ethnic perspective, but rather its strategy is based on achieving regional peace and stability and confronting current challenges.
Regarding internal affairs, Erdogan addressed the issue of investment funds, explaining that the government has intensified its efforts to address this issue by assigning the State Oversight Authority to follow up on it, and forming a coordination committee to inform Parliament and public opinion of developments. He pointed out that judicial investigations continued with precision and depth, which resulted in the arrest or detention of 84 people out of 282 included in the procedures related to the boards of directors of companies and funds, in addition to the issuance of prosecutions against 27 suspects, and measures were taken against 99 others.
On the other hand, Erdogan announced the expansion of the government “Ishkor” program to support young people and prepare them for the labor market, revealing that the number of beneficiaries reached about 220,000 young people. He explained that the program’s capacity will reach 150,000 young people during the years 2026 and 2027, with daily support of 1,375 Turkish liras allocated to participants (up to 19,250 liras per month for those who participate for 14 days), in addition to the state sponsoring social security contributions and providing additional incentives according to specific circumstances.
