UPDATE 2 - Turkish foreign minister meets Venezuelan president in Caracas

UPDATES WITH DETAILS FROM TURKISH DIPLOMATIC SOURCES; ADDS BYLINE, DATELINE

By Alperen Aktas, Merve Berker and Muhammet Tarhan

ISTANBUL / Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Friday met with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas.

During their meeting, Fidan conveyed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's gratitude for Venezuela’s resolute support to Palestine, diplomatic sources said on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

The two also talked about Erdogan’s next visit to the South American country, the sources said, adding that the Turkish foreign minister emphasized Ankara’s principled position that only the Venezuelan people can decide the future of their country.

Fidan said that Turkish authorities do not accept unilateral sanctions against Venezuela, according to the sources.

The Turkish minister expressed his satisfaction with the steps taken by Caracas to resolve the conflicts through dialogue and diplomacy.

Issues related to economic, trade and tourism cooperation were also discussed by Maduro and Fidan as they confirmed the determination to increase the bilateral trade volume between the two countries through investments in strategic sectors, the sources said.

Relations in the field of energy were also discussed during the meeting.

For his part, Maduro said on X: "Excellent meeting with the Foreign Minister of Türkiye, Hakan Fidan. With the sister nation of Türkiye, we are consolidating a strong friendship with a busy work agenda, concrete agreements, and tangible achievements that in action and practice are for the shared well-being of our peoples.”

"We continue together on this path,” he stressed.

The meeting at the Miraflores Presidential Palace in Caracas was attended by Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil and Türkiye’s Ambassador to Caracas Aydan Karamanoglu.