Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said Saturday that it is “closely following” developments in Venezuela and urged restraint, after US President Donald Trump said a US military operation captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro along with his wife, Cilia Flores.
Regarding the Recent Developments in Venezuela https://t.co/ZIVMGOvxEj pic.twitter.com/Nwo8WIzUlA
— Turkish MFA (@MFATurkiye) January 3, 2026
The ministry said Turkey attaches importance to “the stability of Venezuela” and the “peace and well-being of the Venezuelan people.”
It called on “all parties to act with restraint” to avoid consequences for regional and international security.
The ministry said it is ready to make a “constructive contribution” to resolving the crisis “within the framework of international law.”
It also said Turkey’s embassy in Caracas is maintaining uninterrupted communication and coordination with Turkish citizens in the country.
Trump said the United States carried out a “large-scale strike” and that Maduro was captured and flown out of Venezuela, in what would be the most direct US military action in Latin America in decades.
Venezuela’s government has rejected the US account and accused Washington of seeking its oil wealth.
Turkey has maintained ties with Maduro’s government even as the United States and other countries sought to isolate him through sanctions and diplomatic pressure.
When a Venezuelan opposition leader declared himself interim president in 2019 and Washington backed the move, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan called Maduro to express support.
Economic ties grew during that period, including Venezuelan gold shipments to Turkey that were reported in Turkish trade data in 2018.