JAKARTA - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned US President Donald Trump that there would be consequences for violating the sovereignty of a country that violates international law.
This was conveyed by Erdogan when communicating with Trump via telephone on Monday local time discussing the US military operation in Venezuela resulting in the arrest and transfer of President Nicolas Maduro from Caracas to New York.
"Every attack on the sovereignty of the people and every violation of international law will cause serious complications in the international order," Erdogan told Trump when asked by one of Turkey's news television after a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, January 6, quoted by AFP.
Erdogan stressed to Trump that Venezuela should not fall into chaos.
"Venezuela must not fall into chaos or instability," he added.
After months of threats and pressure tactics, the US military on Saturday last week bombed Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, and arrested Maduro.
On Monday, January 5, in a New York court, Maduro pleaded not guilty to Trump's drug trafficking charges.
"When violence defeats the law, instability, crisis and conflict will occur," Erdogan warned.
"We are trying to act in the best interests of Turkey and the friendly Venezuelan people. Mr. Maduro and the Venezuelan people have repeatedly shown their friendship towards our country," he added.
Erdogan then reiterated his belief that Trump would soon allow Turkey to rejoin the F-35 stealth fighter jet program.
The US removed Turkey, a NATO member, from the program in 2019. The decision was part of US sanctions against Turkey for buying Russia's S-400 surface-to-air missile defense system. However, since Trump returned to the US presidency, the dispute seems to want to be ended by both parties.
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