Turkey's president has criticized the Guaido uprising in Venezuela, saying Turkey has “experienced the negative consequences caused by coups”.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, an ally of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, condemned the Guaido “coup” after Caracas saw a day of violent clashes between supporters of the incumbent and the opposition leader.

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He told how Turkey has historically “struggled with coups” and speaking after footage emerged of military vehicles seemingly ramming protesters, warned of the “negative consequences” of such uprisings.

“The entire world has to respect the democratic choices of the people in Venezuela,” he wrote on Twitter, adding that Turkey unequivocally condemns the coup.

Maduro, the first world leader who expressed for Erdogan after an attempted Turkish coup in 2016, was re-elected Venezuela's president in 2018. But months later US-backed opposition leader Juan Guaido has called his presidency illegitimate, and on Tuesday morning claimed he had military backing in the “final phase” of his move to oust the country's leader.

Around 50 countries including the US and Brazil, as well as some European countries, recognize Guaido as the interim president of the Latin American country. Amid widely-shared scenes of clashes in Caracas on Tuesday, Bolivian President Evo Morales reiterated his support for Maduro, while Colombia's leader Ivan Duque urged Venezuelans to support Guaido. Russia, China and Iran have previously backed the country's elected leader.

Also on rt.com Caracas warns it'll use weapons if needed as crowds of coup supporters flock to presidential palace

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