Latest

Erdogan: Turkey will continue to stand by friendly Venezuelan people

President Erdogan described the US operation against Maduro as a "deplorable incident" and warned President Trump against regional instability during a phone call.

Editor

Jan 06, 2026 - 01:15

Erdogan: Turkey will continue to stand by friendly Venezuelan people

WISE NEWS PRESS / ANKARA, TÜRKİYE

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan characterized the US military operation that led to the capture and extraction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro as a "deplorable incident," reiterating that Turkey will continue to support the friendly people of Venezuela.

Speaking after the first Cabinet meeting of the year in Ankara, Erdogan confirmed he had a phone call with US President Donald Trump to convey Turkey’s sensitivities. "In our telephone conversation with Mr. Trump, we communicated our country's concerns and underscored that Venezuela must not be driven into instability," Erdogan stated. He warned that violating sovereign rights and international law represents a risky path that could lead to "serious global complications."

Defense of international law and legitimacy

President Erdogan emphasized that Turkey remains one of the leading nations advocating for justice, legitimacy, and international law on the global stage. Expressing his reaction to the transfer of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, to New York on "narco-terrorism" charges, Erdogan noted that Turkey never approves of actions that violate political legitimacy. He stressed that only the people of a country should have the right to determine their own government, echoing his long-standing foreign policy of non-intervention in sovereign affairs.

Details of "Operation Absolute Resolve"

The President’s remarks follow the large-scale US military action dubbed "Operation Absolute Resolve," which took place early Saturday in Caracas. US Air Force General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, reported that the operation was executed with "speed, precision, and discipline," involving more than 150 aircraft. President Trump described the targeted residence as an "armed fortress" but claimed elite units breached the compound’s steel doors in under 30 minutes. Maduro and Flores are now being held in New York awaiting trial in federal court.