Türkiye adhered to its foreign policy and peace diplomacy principles as it commented on the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and the first lady over the weekend in the wake of U.S. attacks on the South American country.
Ömer Çelik, spokesperson for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), released a lengthy statement on social media on Sunday, terming the incidents as unacceptable. In the immediate aftermath of the crisis, the Turkish Foreign Ministry called for restraint.
Çelik’s statements were a reflection of the Turkish policy of balancing relations with countries hostile to each other while defending universal human rights. He said their principle was that political legitimacy was superior to the one imposed by force.
“Targeting the sovereignty of a nation and the violation of international law cannot be accepted. Political ‘ownership’ of a country solely belongs to the people of that country. Legitimate sovereignty can only be built by the people of that country and it cannot be imposed by outside forces. This is the basis of international order and international laws. Our president is the strongest defender of those principles,” Çelik stated.
This principle was most evident in recent years in Türkiye’s support to the Syrian opposition calling for fair elections and opposing the fragmentation of Türkiye’s southern neighbor. Throughout the civil war, Türkiye sided with the Syrian opposition while seeking a dialogue with the now-defunct Assad regime to resolve the issue through peaceful means. When the People’s Revolution in Syria managed to topple the oppressive Baathist regime, Ankara was first to extend congratulations and overwhelming support to the new administration. Standing out in the international community, Ankara also advocates for a fair peace in ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict, calling the demands of both sides to be respected.
On Saturday, the Turkish Foreign Ministry appealed for restraint from all sides after U.S. forces detained Maduro.
"In order to prevent the current situation from leading to negative consequences for regional and international security, we call on all parties to act with restraint," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
“Türkiye attaches importance to the stability of Venezuela and the peace and well-being of the Venezuelan people,” it added.
Çelik on Sunday dismissed the opposition’s criticism of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan that the latter has not issued a statement regarding the U.S.-Venezuela crisis.
“Our president is skilled in managing global crisis and has never abstained from telling the truth. He never turned a blind eye to an unfair situation. It is the sign of his political experience that he knew when and where he would speak,” Çelik said.
“The president never excused or approved any developments contradicting political legitimacy,” he underlined.
The spokesperson advised other politicians in Türkiye to act responsibly and to use common sense in the face of chaotic developments in the world.
“The world is going through difficult times, and we will face a more difficult global environment. Our greatest power in such times is adhering to our political principles. Any concession from political legitimacy principle is out of question. We have to keep our unity in the face of chaos in the world,” Çelik stressed.
The chairperson of the Turkish Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee and AK Party lawmaker Fuat Oktay also commented on the issue.
In a statement shared on social media, Oktay said respect for universal law, as well as for states’ sovereignty and independence, is fundamental in international relations.
He stressed that safeguarding peace and stability for the Venezuelan people, along with regional stability, is extremely important within the framework of these principles.
“These principles, which every country will inevitably need one day, should not be squandered through a ‘might makes right’ approach driven by temporary and material interests,” Oktay warned.
Ahmet Büyükgümüş, deputy chair of the AK Party, also echoed Çelik’s comments. On his social media post on Saturday, Büyükgümüş said that what happened in Venezuela, regardless of its political context or goals, was a blatant violation of international law.
“Such interventions ignoring sovereignty of states and international law pose a systemic risk destabilizing both relevant countries and the global system,” he warned.
On Türkiye’s stance on the issue, Büyükgümüş said Ankara’s foreign policy is not “based on slogans” but a legal and realistic perspective.
“Under the leadership of our president, our country is committed to standing for justice, stability and international law,” he said.
