Venezuela’s Maduro May Embrace Islam?
Turkish Foreign Minister says Venezuelan Prime Minister told him last year he may convert to Islam
March 25th, 2019
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro last year told him that he may convert to Islam, Turkish news website Gazete Duvar reported on Friday.
Speaking in a university in the southern district of Alanya on Thursday, the Turkish minister said Maduro had made such a comment while both were talking about a famous Turkish television series, “The Resurrection: Ertuğrul”.
The series narrates the life of Ertuğrul, the father of Osman I, who founded the Ottoman Empire.
“He stood up, screaming. He calmed down after counting all the names in the series and said “These series teach the real Islam and one day maybe thanks to these series I will embrace Islam,” Çavuşoğlu said about his conversation with Maduro. “We are happy and proud to hear such words,” he added.
Maduro has not responded to Çavuşoğlu's comments, yet.
The Turkish Minister's remarks arrived while Venezuela has been embroiled in a political crisis since January after Juan Guaido proclaimed himself interim president, demanding Maduro's resignation and fresh elections.
Turkey and Venezuela have grown close in recent years, and their relations will likely continue to warm in the coming year as the pair cooperate in a series of deals including massive projects. Turkey's exports to Venezuela also rose by 411 percent to reach $8.96 million in January 2019.
