Turkey: We strongly condemn the targeting of the Saudi East-West pipeline by Iraqi drones - Sarmad

The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemned the drone attacks targeting Saudi Arabia, which disrupted the East-West oil pipeline in the Riyadh and Medina regions.

In a statement on Saturday, the ministry said: “We most strongly condemn the drone attacks carried out from Iraqi territory and targeting Saudi Arabia.”

The statement added: “We reaffirm our support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and we appreciate the wise approach of the Saudi authorities in avoiding the escalation of tensions in the region.”

The Turkish Foreign Ministry welcomed the Iraqi government’s condemnation of these attacks and its initiation of an immediate investigation to uncover the circumstances of the incident and identify those responsible.

The ministry concluded its statement by reiterating Ankara’s call on all parties to immediately halt such attacks, warning that they “threaten regional stability and security,” and urging the avoidance of any actions that could escalate tensions in the region.

The Saudi Foreign Ministry had announced on Friday that the East-West pipeline had been targeted several times by drones originating from Iraq, resulting in casualties and material damage. The Ministry of Energy subsequently announced the precautionary shutdown of the pipeline and the implementation of necessary measures to secure it and verify its integrity.

For its part, the Iraqi government condemned the attacks targeting the Kingdom and affirmed its rejection of any aggression that undermines Saudi Arabia’s security and stability. Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi ordered the formation of an investigative council against the command of the Maysan operations, and directed the dismissal of the operations commander after it was established that the attacks originated from a site within the province.