Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who has long supported the ousted and imprisoned Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, is looking to play a role in the current situation in Venezuela, aiming to safeguard Turkey’s investments in the regime.
On Monday, Erdoğan had a phone conversation with President Donald Trump, recognizing their established relationship. Despite the gravity of the situation, Erdoğan’s tone appeared relatively subdued.
He expressed some moderate criticism of the US approach to Maduro, framing his comments around the notion of “international law.” Erdoğan reportedly told Trump that undermining national sovereignty and international law could have dire global consequences.
He emphasized that Venezuela should not spiral into chaos and instability, reiterating Turkey’s desire for peace and order in the region.
However, there’s a certain irony in Erdoğan’s statements about stability, especially when considering his own military actions in Syria, which have raised conflict and instability for various groups, particularly the Kurds.
Moreover, Erdoğan mentioned Turkey’s commitment to acting in the best interests of both Turkish and Venezuelan people, who have shown goodwill towards Turkey.
Interestingly, many Venezuelans likely celebrated Maduro’s imprisonment, which might explain Erdoğan’s cautious stance during his chat with Trump, alongside concerns about the billions Turkey has invested in Venezuela.
Despite Turkey’s NATO membership, Erdoğan has been fairly open about forming closer ties with Maduro, who supported him during the 2016 coup attempt in Turkey.
Following that event, Maduro was among the first leaders to express support for Erdoğan, and trade between Turkey and Venezuela nearly doubled in the year after.
In 2018, after the US imposed sanctions on Venezuelan gold, Turkey began importing significant quantities of gold, complicating efforts to trace the proceeds from Maduro’s drug trade.
Before 2019, trade had surged past $1 billion, but the US pressured Erdoğan to step back from Venezuelan gold imports due to concerns about money laundering linked to Maduro’s cocaine operations.
Additionally, Turkish mob boss Sedat Peker gained notoriety in 2021 for revealing dubious business practices by Erdoğan’s associates, including ties to drug trafficking with Venezuela.
Turkey is considering substantial investments in sectors like natural gas, oil, and mining, which involve hefty financial commitments. Erdoğan is likely worried that a new Venezuelan government may not afford the same protection for Turkish investments as Maduro did.
Erdoğan is feeling the heat from Turkish opposition, particularly after Maduro’s arrest. Özgur Ozer, leader of the Republican People’s Party, criticized Erdoğan’s perceived cowardice regarding Trump’s actions against Maduro.
Ozer remarked, “Your friend Trump has entered your ally Maduro’s home, treated him cruelly, and you remain silent?” He lambasted Erdoğan for failing to protect international order and being overly dependent on Trump.
In response, Erdoğan’s communications head, Burhanettin Duran, asserted that Turkey’s foreign policy is navigating state interests, not driven by dramatic or opportunistic rhetoric.
Debret Bahçeli, head of the National Movement Party and Erdoğan’s ally, noted a parallel between Trump’s actions against Maduro and the 2016 coup attempt against Erdoğan, suggesting that the US was behind both efforts.
