07/03/2020

Turkey, Venezuela agree on security cooperation that covers joint operations

Turkey and its South American ally Venezuela have entered into a security cooperation agreement that includes carrying out joint police operations and exchanging information and experience in combatting and preventing terrorism and crime. Despite the US government’s economic sanctions on Venezuela for human rights abuses and undermining democracy, economic and political ties between Ankara and Caracas have grown stronger. In recent years Venezuela and Turkey have exchanged visits of high level officials and signed several bilateral agreements. In that regard Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez paid a visit to Turkey on January 24, 2020 on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of bilateral relations and met with her Turkish counterpart, Fuat Oktay, in Ankara.

In the text of the agreement, obtained by Nordic Monitor, the two countries pledge to cooperate in fighting transboundary crime, in particular crimes related to terrorism, organized crime, smuggling of migrants and the trafficking of human beings and narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances and their precursors. According to Article 3 (b), the parties “agree to carry out joint police operations. The relevant operational procedures shall be agreed upon by the Authorities of both Parties as mentioned in Article 6.” The terms of the agreement will be executed by the Ministry of Interior on the Turkish side and the People’s Power Ministry for Interior for Venezuela in line with Article 6. It is obvious that Article 3 of the agreement could become a convenient tool for Turkish police forces to conduct operations on Venezuelan soil targeting dissidents.

The 12-article agreement was submitted to parliament for ratification on May 3, 2019 by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who has often been criticized by his opponents for abusing criminal and terrorism investigations in order to prosecute dissidents on dubious charges of terrorism.President Erdoğan’s letter submitted to parliament seeking approval of the agreement with Venezuela:

https://www.nordicmonitor.com/2020/03/turkey-venezuela-agree-on-security-cooperation-that-covers-joint-operations/

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