Turkey Heeds Int’l Call to Freeze Assets of Houthi Leadership

Turkey has frozen the assets of three senior Houthi leaders in line with UN Security Council resolutions, the country’s official gazette reported on Thursday.

The decision is valid until February 26, 2020, and affects Abdulmalek Al-Houthi, Abd Al-Khaliq Al-Houthi and Abdullah Yahya Al-Hakim.

The Iran-backed Houthi leadership and former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh were sanctioned and blacklisted by the UN in 2014 for obstructing peace, security and stability in the country.

Ankara also temporarily froze the assets of Saleh and his son in Turkish banks and other financial institutions, including safes, about two years ago. It has extended the duration of this freeze.

Separately, Yemen’s Economic Committee reiterated the determination of government bodies and the country’s Central Bank of Yemen (CBY) to uphold the action plan and policies for stabilizing the national economy and local currency rates.

Strict regulatory measures have been put into effect to stop powerful traders and bankers from buying into political patronage and profiteering off the suffering of war-ailed Yemenis.

The committee, in an official statement, pointed out that it is carefully vetting local trade operations, and is looking into applications filed by companies working in areas outside government control for exemptions.

The crackdown on businessmen and trade activity in the country aims to thwart Houthi attempts to monopolize Yemen’s oil market.

“Houthi militias have boosted black market activity by offering oil from the so-called Houthi Oil Company and prevented qualified traders from applying for government permits during the past two months,” the statement said.

As for the committee’s licensing of oil imports into the war-torn country, it confirmed approving shipments for all qualifying applications, once completed, within 24 days.

It had recently approved the entry of four oil shipments to the port of Hodeidah.