Erdoğan says US, Venezuela must keep dialogue open

ANKARA

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Dec. 6 spoke over the phone with his Venezuelan counterpart, Nicolas Maduro, amid mounting fears of U.S. military action, urging the sides to "keep dialogue open."

Washington has been ramping up the pressure on Caracas with a major naval build-up in the Caribbean, conducting more than 20 strikes targeting boats allegedly involved in drug-trafficking that have caused the death of dozens.

The United States has so far not provided any evidence showing its connection to the alleged trafficking.

"It is important to keep channels of dialogue open between the U.S. and Venezuela," Erdoğan told him, according to a statement from his office on X, expressing hope that "the tension will ease as soon as possible."

Erdoğan said that Türkiye was closely following the developments in the region and believed that "problems can be solved through dialogue."

Venezuela's Foreign Ministry said that the Turkish leader had expressed "deep concern over the threats facing Venezuela, particularly the military deployment and various actions aimed at disrupting peace and security in the Caribbean."

Maduro "explained in detail the illegal, disproportionate, unnecessary, and even extravagant nature of these threats," according to a ministry's statement.

The pair also discussed the mass suspension of international flights after U.S. President Donald Trump's declaration last month that Venezuelan airspace should be considered "closed."

Maduro said last week he had had a "cordial" phone call with Trump 10 days earlier, during the U.S. military build-up in the region.

Trump had confirmed the telephone conversation with Maduro without providing any details.

He summoned his top national security officials to discuss Venezuela after months of tensions with Caracas. The U.S. leader has accused Maduro of leading a drug cartel, a claim Venezuela denies.

Last month, Washington sent the world's largest aircraft carrier to the Caribbean, along with a fleet of warships.

Meanwhile, the Venezuelan army swore in 5,600 new soldiers on Dec. 6. "Under no circumstances will we allow an invasion by an imperialist force," Colonel Gabriel Alejandro Rendon Vilchez said during the ceremony at Fuerte Tiuna, the country's largest military complex, in Caracas.

According to official figures, Venezuela has 200,000 troops and an additional 200,000 police officers.

Türkiye has strong ties with Venezuela, with Erdoğan last visiting the country in December 2018 to offer support to Maduro after Washington and several European nations disavowed the Venezuelan leader's reelection over accusations of fraud.