Venezuela’s Maduro receives warm welcome in Turkey

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara Wednesday. 

Erdogan welcomed the South American leader with a ceremony at the Presidential Complex. 

The two discussed ways to enhance cooperation between Turkey and Venezuela. They specifically spoke about energy, tourism, agriculture and technology, among other topics, according to a readout from the Venezuelan government.

Why it matters: Turkey and Venezuela have a strong relationship. Turkey praised Venezuela’s elections last November, calling them “peaceful.” On the contrary, the European Union reported numerous problems with the vote, including the arbitrary disqualification of candidates. 

In October of last year, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Felix Plasencia visited Turkey and endorsed “deeper” relations between the two states. 

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu also visited Venezuela in 2020. 

Erdogan also visited Venezuela in 2018, and Maduro visited Turkey the same year. 

Turkey’s NATO ally the United States opposed Maduro and heavily sanctions Venezuela. 

Know more: Venezuela also has a close relationship with Iran based on oil cooperation and their shared animosity toward the United States.