Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in Ankara on Wednesday he was against “primitive one-sided” sanctions on Venezuela.
He made the remark while speaking alongside the Latin American country’s President Nicolas Maduro in a joint news conference.
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Erdogan said he wanted to “reiterate that we will continue to support brotherly Venezuela.”
Maduro travelled to the Turkish capital just as the foreign minister of Russia, a key ally of the ostracized Latin American regime, was also visiting the city.
The Venezuelan leader is also travelling on his Eurasian tour after he was rebuffed by the US, which decided not to invite him to this month’s Summit of the Americas.
Turkey is one of a handful of places around the world – Russia and Iran are other friendly states – where Maduro is welcome amid US sanctions on his country.
During Wednesday’s news conference, Maduro thanked Turkey for its support during the COVID-19 pandemic and said the two countries had signed three agreements on banking, agriculture and tourism.
Turkey and Venezuela have deepened their ties in recent years, with trade rising to nearly $850 million, according to Erdogan.
Read more: Turkey’s Erdogan offers support for Venezuela’s Maduro
