Turkey’s ruling party condemns coup bid in Venezuela

By Ferdi Turkten

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey sides with constitutions and elected administrators of countries, and it is against all kinds of coup, said Turkey's ruling party spokesman on Tuesday, amid reports of a coup attempt in Venezuela

“We are facing a big mistake that U.S., which claims to be cradle of democracy, appoints head of state in another country, Omer Celik said at a news conference.

“No country can appoint a head of state in another country,” he added.

Celik also stressed that biggest betrayal by a military element to its nation is a coup attempt.

Earlier, Venezuela’s opposition leader Juan Guaido released a video -- in which he can be seen alongside a small contingent of uniformed military personnel and armored vehicles -- calling for an uprising to end the "usurpation" of Maduro.

He stressed it was the beginning of the final phase of the “Operacion Libertad”, or Operation Liberty, to oust Maduro.

"The National Armed Forces have made the correct decision, they have the support of the Venezuelan people," Guaido said.

Guaido also called on Venezuelans to take to the streets to support the "democratic forces" and "recover the country's freedom" after sympathetic military officials released Leopoldo Lopez, an opposition politician who had been detained since 2014 for leading anti-government protests.

On the possible U.S. move on Muslim Brotherhood, Celik said it will deal a major blow to democratization demands in Middle East.

“This move also will increase Islamophobia in Europe and America and will strengthen the hands of extreme rightists and Islam’s enemies in other part of the World,” he went on to say.

The White House confirmed Tuesday that The American administration of Donald Trump is seeking to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.

Trump "has consulted with his national security team and leaders in the region who share his concern," White House spokesman Sarah Sanders said in response to an Anadolu Agency inquiry. "This designation is working its way through the internal process."

The designation would pave the way for American sanctions on the transnational movement, which has supporters throughout the Arab and wider Muslim world.

*Writing by Zehra Nur Duz