Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Wednesday denied claims that the United States offered Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro exile in Turkey prior to his capture, saying Ankara had received no such proposal, the Anka news agency reported.
“There was no such thing. We received no information to that effect,” Erdoğan said when asked by reporters after a parliamentary group meeting of his ruling Justice and Development Party.
Erdoğan’s comments came amid reports in the US media that Washington had offered Maduro a way out through exile in Turkey before launching a military operation that led to his arrest last week.
Erdoğan’dan “Maduro'nun Türkiye'ye getirileceği” iddialarına ilişkin soruya yanıt:
"Öyle bir şey yok" pic.twitter.com/z03Don1mqt
— ANKA Haber Ajansı (@ankahabera) January 7, 2026
The New York Times reported on Sunday that the Trump administration delivered an ultimatum to Maduro around December 23, proposing that he step down and accept exile in Turkey.
According to the report, Maduro rejected the offer, prompting US President Donald Trump to authorize a military intervention days later on January 3.
US Senator Lindsey Graham has also publicly backed those reports, said the Venezuelan leader was given a chance to leave power peacefully but chose defiance instead.
Maduro “could be in Turkey today, but he’s in New York,” he said, speaking aboard Air Force One with Trump.
The Washington Post also reported in late November that Turkey had emerged as a leading potential destination for Maduro amid growing US pressure and a military buildup in the Caribbean.
Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured by US forces in a pre-dawn raid on January 3 in an operation codenamed “Operation Absolute Resolve,” ending 12 years of his rule.
They were flown to New York later that day and now face charges including narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine trafficking and weapons offenses.
The couple appeared in Manhattan federal court on January 5 where they pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking charges.
The claims have also fueled political debate in Turkey. Main opposition Republican People’s Party leader Özgür Özel raised the issue during his party’s parliamentary group meeting, asking whether Erdoğan had been informed of any US proposal to send Maduro to Turkey.
Erdoğan has enjoyed friendly relations with Maduro, publicly referring to him as “brother” and expressed strong solidarity with Venezuela, including after a 2016 coup attempt in Turkey, when Maduro was among the first foreign leaders to support Erdoğan. The two countries have maintained strong cooperation in energy and trade.
Erdoğan was also among the few foreign leaders to congratulate Maduro on his 2024 election, widely dismissed by the United States and more than 50 other countries as fraudulent.
Turkey’s official response to Maduro’s removal has been notably restrained despite years of close ties between Erdoğan and Maduro.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry issued a statement on January 3 saying Ankara is “closely following the recent developments in Venezuela.”
Erdoğan broke his silence on Monday, saying that he had told Trump that Venezuela must not collapse into chaos days after the removal of his ally.
“Any attack on the sovereignty of the people and any violation of international law will generate serious complications for the international order,” Erdoğan said he told Trump.