Shea Levin — text status

Turkey is preparing to send military assistance to Saudi Arabia as the kingdom intensifies its confrontation with the Houthis, with an initial package expected to include military equipment, technicians and emergency-response teams, Middle East Eye reports. Turkey could later deploy fighter jets and pilots to bolster Saudi air defenses, as well as special forces, if authorized by the Turkish parliament. Turkish forces could help protect Riyadh, Makkah and Madinah, as well as the western section of Saudi Arabia’s critical East-West oil pipeline.