Turkey freezes assets of Yemeni ex-president, rebel leaders

Turkey has frozen the assets of officials from Yemen's former regime including ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh, along with Huthi rebel leaders, the official Anatolia news agency reported on Friday.

The move by Ankara followed UN Security Council sanctions on the same five men for threatening peace in the impoverished, conflict-torn country.  

The decision, which was published in the Official Gazette having been endorsed by the cabinet, blacklists Saleh, his son Ahmad Ali Abdullah Saleh, and Huthi leaders Abdulmalik al-Huthi, Abdullah Yahya al-Hakim and Abd al-Khaliq al-Huthi, the agency said.

The sanctions freeze any assets, bank accounts and safe deposit boxes the five might have in Turkey and will be in place until February 26, 2016, Anatolia said.

Saleh, who ruled Yemen for 33 years before being forced from power in 2012 after a bloody year-long uprising, threw the support of his loyalists in the army behind the Huthis.

He was accused of aiding the Huthis to undermine UN-backed President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi in February.

A Saudi-led coalition began a campaign of air strikes against the Huthis and their allies in March after the insurgents seized Sanaa and then advanced south, forcing the government to flee to the Saudi capital Riyadh.
Source: AFP