ISTANBUL, Dec 7, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke by phone Saturday with his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolas Maduro, urging him to "keep dialogue open" with Washington amid mounting fears of US military action.

"It is important to keep channels of dialogue open between the US and Venezuela," Erdogan told him, according to a statement from his office on X, expressing hope that "the tension will ease as soon as possible".

Erdogan said that Turkey was closely following the developments in the region and believed that "problems can be solved through dialogue".

Earlier this week, US President Donald Trump summoned his top national security officials to discuss Venezuela after months of tensions with Caracas. The US leader has accused Maduro of leading a drug cartel, a claim Venezuela denies.

Washington has been ramping up the pressure on Caracas with a major naval build-up in the Caribbean, conducting more than 20 strikes targeting boats allegedly involved in drug-trafficking that have caused at least 87 deaths.

It has so far not provided any evidence showing their connection to the alleged trafficking.

Last month, Washington sent the world's largest aircraft carrier to the Caribbean, along with a fleet of warships, and declared Venezuelan airspace "completely closed" for a supposed operation against drug trafficking.

Turkey has strong ties with Venezuela, with Erdogan last visiting the country in December 2018 to offer support to Maduro after Washington and several European nations disavowed the Venezuelan leader's re-election over accusations of fraud.

Various US officials and media reports have suggested that if Maduro were forced out, he could seek refuge in Turkey.

"I hear Turkey and Iran are lovely this time of year," Republican Senator Lindsey Graham wrote on X last week in a suggestion that the Venezuelan leader should flee.