ANKARA: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has expressed support for his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolas Maduro after the United States recognized Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido interim president, Erdogan's spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said on Thursday.

"Our president called Venezuelan President Maduro, conveyed to him Turkey's support," Kalin said on Twitter.

On Wednesday, Guaido declared himself the country's interim president at a mass rally in Caracas.

The United States urged Maduro to step down in favor of Guaido.

Maduro called the opposition leader "the US puppet" and said that Venezuela was severing diplomatic ties with Washington.