Delcy Rodriguez's Visit to Türkiye (2026)

Venezuela Acting State President Delcy Rodriguez undertook a working visit to Türkiye on 8 June 2026 at the invitation of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. During the visit, the two leaders held bilateral and delegation-level talks at the Presidential Dolmabahçe Working Office in Istanbul. The talks focused on strengthening bilateral relations between Türkiye and Venezuela, as well as enhancing cooperation in trade, energy, and mining.

^{Venezuela Acting State President Delcy Rodriguez, at the Presidential Dolmabahçe Office, 8 June 2026 - (Anadolu Agency)}" image-element-format="right" image-height="3213" image-source="https://cdn.t3pedia.org/media/uploads/2026/06/09/KpbypUcBg202VWgjhq3xvGx0i8YXndph.jpg" image-width="4809">

Presidential Communications Director Burhaneddin Duran announced on his social media account that Rodriguez would visit Türkiye in response to President Erdoğan’s invitation. The announcement stated that discussions during the visit would review the multifaceted relations between Türkiye and Venezuela, assess steps to deepen cooperation, and exchange views on current regional and global developments.

According to the Venezuelan press, the visit was part of an international tour that began one week earlier in India.

Rodriguez was received in Istanbul by a delegation led by Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar. Following the official welcome ceremony at the Presidential Dolmabahçe Working Office, President Erdoğan and Rodriguez proceeded to bilateral and delegation-level talks.

The Turkish delegation included Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz, Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar, Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır, Minister of Trade Ömer Bolat, Presidential Communications Director Burhaneddin Duran, and Presidential Advisor for Foreign Policy and Security Akif Çağatay Kılıç.

The Venezuelan delegation included Minister of Foreign Affairs Yvan Gil, Minister of Tourism Daniela Cabello, Minister of Science and Technology Gabriela Jiménez, Minister of Transportation Jacqueline Farías, Minister of Foreign Trade Johann Álvarez, and Minister of Communications Miguel Pérez Pirela.

^{Venezuela Acting State President Delcy Rodriguez, at the Presidential Dolmabahçe Office, 8 June 2026 - (Anadolu Agency)}" image-element-format="left" image-height="3213" image-source="https://cdn.t3pedia.org/media/uploads/2026/06/09/AcMGDuoaHAo3J2eY7GbKMzkex0HCLNPd.jpg" image-width="4499">

According to the Presidential Communications Directorate, the talks addressed Türkiye-Venezuela bilateral relations and global developments. President Erdoğan affirmed during the talks that "Türkiye has always stood alongside the friendly people of Venezuela" and emphasized that both countries are committed to advancing cooperation in numerous areas, particularly trade, energy, and mining.

The two sides also evaluated steps to increase bilateral trade volume from its current level to a target of 3 billion US dollars. The discussions highlighted the potential for broader cooperation in energy, as well as in health, transportation, science, and technology.

Following her meeting with President Erdoğan, Venezuela Acting State President Rodriguez posted a video on the official social media account of the Miraflores Palace, highlighting the importance of Türkiye to Venezuela. The video included footage from Dolmabahçe Palace and clips from her meeting with Erdoğan.

^{Venezuela Acting State President Delcy Rodriguez, at the Presidential Dolmabahçe Office, 8 June 2026 - (Anadolu Agency)}" image-element-format="right" image-height="3213" image-source="https://cdn.t3pedia.org/media/uploads/2026/06/09/9lKyin2YhRZz2FLisWBlZGm9yYdf7xzM.jpg" image-width="4867">

In the video, Rodriguez stated: "We are at Dolmabahçe Palace to meet with President Erdoğan. We aim to further advance our agenda of cooperation. Türkiye and Venezuela are steadily developing commercial and economic relations in various fields, including mining, energy, transportation, and air connectivity. We are grateful for President Erdoğan’s invitation."

Rodriguez emphasized that Turkish Airlines’ flights between Caracas and Istanbul have made a significant contribution to bilateral relations and noted that her government is working to create international cooperation opportunities in technology, industry, science, and energy to improve public welfare. Highlighting Venezuela’s substantial energy potential, Rodriguez said: "We wish to further diversify the wealth our country possesses. We want to demonstrate that the people of Venezuela are honest and hardworking."