Turkey opposes foreign intervention in Venezuela

ANKARA- Anadolu Agency

Turkey opposes foreign interventions including coup attempt in Venezuela, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said on May 20.         

Speaking on Turkey's position on the Venezuelan crisis in a panel, Çavuşoğlu said: "We are against foreign intervention, resorting to undemocratic means, including coup attempts, imposing unilateral sanctions to replace legitimate governments."       

The panel was held in Mexico City by COMEXI think tank where the top Turkish diplomat met with his Mexican counterpart Marcelo Ebrard and Senate President Marti Batres Guadarrama.       

Highlighting the importance of sovereignty and non-intervention in internal affairs, he said: "We are concerned over attempts to undermine the constitutional order and sovereignty of Venezuela.       

"These attempts not only threaten stability, peace and security of Venezuela but also create a dangerous precedent and put the whole region in danger," he added.       

A disaster in Venezuela would have "extremely grave" consequences for the whole region, he noted.       

Venezuela has been rocked by protests since January, when President Nicolas Maduro was sworn in for a second term following a vote boycotted by the opposition.       

Tensions escalated when Juan Guaido declared himself acting president days later, a move supported by the U.S. and many European and Latin American countries.       

Russia, Turkey, China, Iran, Bolivia and Mexico have thrown their weight behind Maduro.       

‘Terrorism a global threat’       

Describing terrorism as a global threat and an enemy of humanity, he said: "Turkey has always underlined that we can defeat terrorism only by international cooperation and with a sincere and comprehensive approach."       

Terrorism is still a crime against humanity regardless of being committed by whomever and for whatever reason, he noted.       

"Therefore, there can be no distinction between good versus bad terrorists," he said, adding the presence of ISIL, PKK/PYD/YPG, FETÖ and all others is a serious risk for peace and stability everywhere.