ISTANBUL – In another sign of a growing gap between Turkey and its traditional allies in the West, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has thrown his weight behind Venezuela’s embattled leader, Nicolas Maduro.
Erdogan joined Russia, China, Iran and Syria in defending Maduro, who is fighting for political survival after the leader of the legislature, Juan Guaido, declared himself president and was recognised as Venezuela’s legitimate head of state by the US government. European powers said they would side with Guaido unless Madura agreed to soon call elections.
“My brother Maduro! Stand tall, we are at your side,” Erdogan told Maduro in a phone call, Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said January 24. He added that Turkey rejected all “coup attempts.”
Kalin spread the hashtag #WeAreMADURO, which became the most popular trend among Turkish Twitter users. Pro-government media drew comparisons between the pressure on Maduro and the coup attempt against
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