Erdogan advises Maduro to engage in dialogue with the US amidst military buildups
In a diplomatic move aimed at containing escalating tensions in the Caribbean region, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made a phone call to his Venezuelan counterpart, Nicolas Maduro, urging him to keep channels of dialogue open with the United States, amid growing fears in Caracas of possible US military action.
Details of the Turkish call for de-escalation
According to a statement issued by the Turkish Presidency, Erdoğan affirmed to his Venezuelan counterpart that "global peace cannot be achieved in isolation from regional stability," emphasizing the importance of continued diplomatic communication between Venezuela and the United States. The Turkish President expressed his hope for a swift resolution to the tensions, noting that Turkey is closely monitoring developments in the region and believes that "no matter how complex the problems, they can be resolved through dialogue.".
Background to US-Venezuelan tensions
This call comes at a time of unprecedented tension in relations between Washington and Caracas, rooted in years of political and economic discord. This discord escalated significantly following the 2018 Venezuelan presidential election, the results of which the United States and several European countries refused to recognize, accusing the Maduro regime of fraud. This prompted Washington to impose a series of harsh economic sanctions targeting Venezuela's oil sector, the lifeblood of the country's economy.
Military buildup in the Caribbean
For its part, the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry expressed deep concern over what it described as "existential threats," noting that the Turkish president received a detailed explanation from Maduro regarding the "illegal" nature of the US military deployment in the region. Washington is intensifying its pressure through a massive military buildup in the Caribbean under the guise of "counter-narcotics operations," with US forces conducting more than 20 operations targeting vessels suspected of involvement in smuggling.
US President Donald Trump had declared Venezuelan airspace "closed," coinciding with the deployment of warships and an aircraft carrier to the region, a move that Caracas considered a prelude to direct military action or a suffocating air and sea blockade.
Strategic relations between Ankara and Caracas
Turkish intervention cannot be understood in isolation from the strength of the relationship between Ankara and Caracas in recent years. Turkey has been a vital economic and political ally for Venezuela in the face of Western isolation, with trade expanding to include gold and food. Erdogan visited Venezuela in December 2018, openly declaring his support for Maduro, which solidified Turkey's position as a trusted partner for the Venezuelan leadership.
Observers believe that Erdogan’s advice to engage in dialogue may be an attempt to create a breach in the wall of the crisis, especially with the circulation of Western reports indicating that Turkey may be a possible destination for Maduro if the situation worsens and reaches a point of no return, which reflects the pivotal role that Turkish diplomacy plays in this thorny issue.
