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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan denied reports that the United States had approached Türkiye about offering Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro exile in the country before his capture, saying “we have not received any such news.”
The remarks come amid international fallout after U.S. forces kidnapped Maduro and his wife in a special military operation on Jan. 3, flying them to New York to face drug-trafficking and related charges.
Some U.S. officials and media reports had suggested Washington offered Maduro a peaceful exit, potentially including exile in Türkiye, which he reportedly rejected, leading to the raid.
Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham said on Jan. 5, "He (Maduro) could be in Türkiye today, but he's in New York. Maduro has nobody to blame but himself. Trump gave him a way out. He chose to defy Trump and the U.S. military, and his a** is in jail where he deserves to be."
The New York Times (NYT) reported that the Trump administration delivered an ultimatum to Maduro in December, telling him to "leave office and go into a gilded exile in Türkiye."
Maduro rejected the ultimatum with anger, according to several Americans and Venezuelans involved in transition talks cited by the Times.
The Times reported that Maduro's regular public dancing and other displays of nonchalance in recent weeks helped persuade some on the Trump team that the Venezuelan president was mocking them and trying to call what he believed to be a bluff.
Erdogan had revealed that he raised concerns about Venezuela's stability during a phone conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday.
Speaking after Türkiye's first cabinet meeting of the year, Erdogan said he emphasized to Trump that Venezuela must not be allowed to descend into instability.
"We do not condone any action that violates political legitimacy and international law, wherever it occurs in the world," Erdogan said in his speech.
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