
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has dismissed claims that the United States had offered Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro the opportunity to flee to Turkey before US forces captured him in a military operation on January 3.
Erdogan said Ankara had not received any such request or information for any transfer or shelter before Maduro's capture, denying reports circulating in the US and international media about an offer to defeat the offensive.
These claims were started by several US officials such as Senator Lindsey Graham, who declared that Maduro "could be in Turkey today, but he is in New York", implying that he had been offered a "peaceful exit" before the military intervention.
The operation, codenamed "Operation Absolute Resolve," ended with the capture of Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores in Caracas by US special forces and their transfer to New York, where they face federal charges for drug trafficking and other criminal matters.