Let’s remember that Mr. Erdogan said he will resign if it was proved that ISIS (Daesh) oil was being exported through Turkey and Turkey was complicit.
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President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday said Turkey had proof Russia was involved in illegal oil trade with the Islamic State (IS) group in Syria, countering “immoral” Russian allegations that his own family was importing oil from the jihadists.
“We know for example who in Turkey fills their pockets and allows terrorists to make money from the stolen oil in Syria”.
Moscow has responded to the shoot-down by deploying long-range air defense missile systems to its air base in Syria and slamming an array of economic sanctions on Turkey.
“Adding fuel to the fire benefits no one”, said Erdogan, who signed a memorandum of understanding on gas supplies from Qatar, Turkey’s closest ally.
Erdogan said Thursday “a famous Russian chess player” was also involved in the oil business with IS, without giving a name.
“In the West, no one has asked questions about the fact that the Turkish president’s son heads one of the biggest energy companies, or that his son has been appointed energy minister”, Antonov said. Antonov said with sarcasm. So I guess we can all wait for Mr. Erdogan’s resignation because I think it is being proved.
Thousands of Russian citizens from Chechnya, Dagestan and elsewhere have joined the Islamic State group in Syria. This also of course relates to the transit of fighters across the Turkey-Syria border that are essential to maintaining not only ISIS but al-Nusra, Ahrar al-Sham and other terrorist groups.
State Department Deputy Spokesman Mark Toner said at a briefing Wednesday that the US “reject[s], outright, the premise that the Turkish government is in league with ISIL to smuggle oil across its borders”. “That means no shelter to bandits, no double standards, no contacts whatsoever with any terrorist organizations, no attempts to use them for some selfish goals, no criminal, bloody business with terrorists”.
Turkey said it shot down the plane after it violated its airspace for 17 seconds despite repeated warnings, while Russian Federation has insisted that the aircraft has stayed in Syria’s airspace. The militants shot and killed the downed plane’s pilot while he was descending on parachute and also killed a Russian marine who was involved in rescuing the plane’s co-pilot.
Invited journalists and military attaches were shown satellite images and grainy video footage, purporting to show tanker trucks with oil crossing from IS-held territory into Turkey. Their strong language reflects their president’s conviction that Turkey has “stabbed Russian Federation in the back”.
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Following talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Belgrade in the highest bilateral level contact since the crisis began, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu presented his condolences for the death of a Russian pilot in the incident.
