Venezuelan, Turkish presidents discuss military deployment in Caribbean

Alsharq Tribune-M.Essam 

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, spoke by phone on Saturday about global geopolitics and the military deployment in the Caribbean.

During the phone conversation, the Turkish president "expressed deep concern over the threats recently facing Venezuela, particularly the military deployment and various actions intended to disrupt peace and security in the Caribbean," Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil said in a statement.

The two leaders exchanged views on global geopolitics and the latest international developments affecting stability and the future of humanity, said the statement.

Maduro said the maneuvers in the Caribbean constitute an "illegal, disproportionate, unnecessary and even extravagant" act of aggression, adding that Venezuela will continue working for peace.

On bilateral cooperation, Maduro said Venezuela is willing to move forward with Ankara to reach the goal of 3 billion U.S. dollars in trade.

According to the statement, the two sides also agreed on the importance of restoring direct air service between Caracas and Istanbul to facilitate travel for "thousands of tourists and investors."

In late November, Turkish Airlines suspended its operations to Venezuela following a warning issued by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, which urged "extreme caution" when flying over Venezuela and the southern Caribbean.

Maduro also invited Erdogan to visit Venezuela in 2026 for the fifth Joint Cooperation Commission meeting.