Al-Islah, the Yemeni version of the Muslim Brotherhood

Over the past few months, the situation in South Yemen has been getting worse. When the Houthis recaptured parts of Maarib, the STC denounced this as the result of “treachery” on the part of Al-Islah and the Yemeni government. 

Al-Islah figures based in Turkey started a campaign to call for Turkish intervention in Yemen, raising the ire of both the Saudis and the STC as many Turkish activities in Yemen have already been hidden under the cover of charitable organizations.

The city of Shabwa governor met Turkish officials two months ago, and the Socotra Provincial Governor Ramzi Mahrous is said to have secretly met Turkish and Qatari intelligence officials in Istanbul.

The STC then moved into Socotra and drove the Al-Islah elements in the local government out, angering Al-Islah elements in Hadi’s government and Brotherhood elements in Turkey.

The Hadhramaut province is rich in oil, and it used to be a base for terrorists from many groups that were offshoots of the Yemeni Muslim Brotherhood. Many southerners now consider that “Al-Islah militias are disguised as the national army.”

Yemeni journalist Nassim Al-Deeni told media outlets that Al-Islah is again “dealing with the Houthis and asking tribes close to them to give aid.” She also stressed the fear of the South that Turkish involvement called in by Al-Islah was a real threat to the achievements against the Houthi militia and terrorist groups in the South.

Though Turkey has denied any involvement in Yemen, Al-Deeni said that the Turkish defence minister, who visited Doha last week after a visit to Libya, had discussed involvement in Yemen with Qatari officials.

Despite its military campaigns in Syria, Iraq and Libya that might stretch the cost of another foreign adventure, Turkish President Recep Tayyep Erdogan might find supporting the Brotherhood in Yemen another means of moving against Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries opposed to his aggressive policies in the region.

Turkey can likely rely on its funder Qatar’s willingness to fuel the fires wherever possible and embroil its regional adversaries in endless asymmetrical and media wars.”

Al-Deeni said that the Yemenis know from experience that the Brotherhood will never honour any agreement with the Saudis, especially when it comes to South Yemen.

Though some have argued against the possibility of Turkish military involvement in Yemen, Al-Deeni referred to an announcement by Ankara that it was sending naval vessels to the Bab Al-Mandab Strait off Yemen in September.

The announcement came as part of Turkey’s assuming the lead of the Combined Task Force 151 (CTF-151) to combat piracy in the Gulf of Aden and off the coast of Somalia in the Indian Ocean, with Al-Deeni pointing out that Turkey has the support of the terrorist group Al-Shabab in Somalia, allies of terrorists in South Yemen.