Turkey's Erdogan holds call with Pakistani PM over Yemen crisis

Turkey has publicly supported fellow Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies against the Iran-allied Houthi insurgents in Yemen. Sunni-majority Pakistan voted on Friday not to join the campaign although it remains a staunch Saudi ally.

During the 45 minute call, Erdogan and Sharif agreed to accelerate efforts to find a peaceful resolution to the deteriorating situation in the region, the embassy in Ankara said in a statement.

"They stressed that the Houthis didn't have any right to overthrow a legitimate government in Yemen and affirmed that any violation of the territorial integrity of Saudi Arabia would evoke a strong reaction from both countries."

On Friday evening Erdogan discussed "regional issues" with King Salman of Saudi Arabia and Qatar's Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, presidential sources said, without specifically naming Yemen.

Turkey, which has the second-largest army in the NATO military alliance, has not taken an active role in the operations in Yemen so far, although it has said it is able to offer logistic and intelligence support.

(Reporting by Tulay Karadeniz; Writing by David Dolan; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)