Trump says he may ask Erdoğan to help Saudi Arabia over Houthi attacks

President Donald Trump said Tuesday, October 13, 2026, that he may ask Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to help support Saudi Arabia as attacks by Yemen’s Houthi movement sharpen a regional security crisis.

Speaking to reporters before leaving for a campaign trip to Alaska, Trump described the Houthis as behaving “very badly.” Asked whether Washington had decided to launch strikes against the group, he did not give a direct answer. His comments therefore signaled concern and raised the possibility of Turkish involvement without announcing a U.S. military decision.

Trump said he “might” ask Erdoğan to intervene in support of Saudi interests, according to Reuters. He added that he believed the Turkish president would do as he asked. Trump did not explain what role he had in mind, and there was no indication in the remarks that the White House had formally sent such a request to Ankara.

Daily Sabah separately reported the exchange and said Trump expressed confidence that Erdoğan would respond positively. That account also said Erdoğan spoke by telephone Tuesday with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, condemned the attacks on Saudi territory and expressed solidarity with the kingdom. Those Turkish statements did not amount to an announcement that Ankara would enter the conflict.

The distinction is significant. Trump described a possible diplomatic request, not a completed agreement among the United States, Turkey and Saudi Arabia. He also left unanswered whether American forces would attack Houthi targets. No new U.S. strike order or Turkish deployment was announced with his remarks.

The comments followed recent Houthi attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. Reuters reported that the attacks killed 13 people, wounded more than 300 and temporarily closed airspace over the Saudi capital. The Iran-aligned group has also increased attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a route connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.

The Houthis control Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, and substantial territory elsewhere in the country. They have fought forces aligned with Yemen’s internationally recognized government, which has received backing from a Saudi-led coalition, since the country’s civil war escalated in 2014. Recent attacks have increased the risk that the conflict will draw in additional regional powers.

Turkey could bring diplomatic and regional influence to any effort involving Saudi Arabia, but Trump did not define whether he envisioned mediation, political pressure, intelligence cooperation or another form of assistance. Erdoğan’s contact with the Saudi crown prince shows active consultation between Ankara and Riyadh, but it does not establish that Turkey accepted a role proposed by Trump.

For now, the concrete development is the president’s public statement that he may seek Erdoğan’s help while keeping U.S. military options unclear. Any change in policy would require a subsequent announcement from Washington, Ankara or Riyadh. Until then, claims that Turkey has agreed to intervene or that Trump has ordered strikes would go beyond what was disclosed Tuesday.

Sources and image credit

Trump’s remarks and regional context: Reuters

Independent account of the remarks and Erdoğan’s call with the Saudi crown prince: Daily Sabah

Image: Official White House photo via Wikimedia Commons (public domain; Trump and Erdoğan in the Oval Office on September 25, 2025; cropped to 16:9).