Putin: Turkey Downed Russian Warplane to Protect Oil Trade with Islamic State

“No one has the right to make such a slander as to suggest that Turkey buys Daesh’s oil”, said Erdogan, speaking in Qatar and using an Arabic acronym for the Islamic State group.

At a briefing to journalists in Moscow, deputy defence minister Anatoly Antonov said Turkey was the biggest buyer of “stolen” oil from Syria and Iraq.

Antonov also drew attention to the fact that the son of the Turkish President heads one of the largest energy companies, whereas Erdogan’s son-in-law serves as the Minister for Energy.

“What a marvelous family business!” said Antonov sarcastically.

Erdogan had dismissed earlier Russian claims that Ankara is involved in the illegal oil trade with jihadist groups, including IS, in Syria and Iraq, insisting he would resign if allegations were proved true. He also said he did not want relations with Moscow to worsen further.

US President Barack Obama urged Turkey on Tuesday to reduce tensions with Moscow after the downing of a Russian warplane and to seal its border with Syria to choke off the supply of money and fighters to ISIS militants. Turkey opposes Syria’s Assad regime, while Russian Federation intervened in the civil war to prop it up. Russian Federation has halted the sale of holiday tours to Turkey – a key tourist destination – and is set to ban the import of Turkish fruit and vegetables, as well as threatening other measures.

“We have recently received additional reports that confirm that that oil from ISIL-controlled territories is delivered to the territory of Turkey on an industrial scale”.

Erdogan has said Ankara is taking steps to prevent fuel smuggling, and he challenged anyone who accused his government of collaborating with Islamic State to prove their allegations.

Russian Federation claims Turkey shot down its plane to protect what President Vladimir Putin has described as Turkish profiteering from the IS oil trade.

Turkey said it downed the Russian jet after its crew ignored 10 warnings to leave Turkish airspace.

Erdogan has denied Russian accusations that Islamic State earns cash by selling oil to Turkey. The ministry alleged that Erdoğan was personally profiting from the oil trade.

But the U.S. said last month that most of the air strikes were against “moderate Syrian opposition forces” opposed to Mr Assad.

“President Erdogan is committed to doing that”, Kerry said. He said the plane was actually going to attack ISIS targets in Syria.

Turkey is part of a U.S.-led coalition of countries fighting ISIS in Syria and Iraq.

Angry protests have taken place outside the Turkish Embassy in Moscow.

Since the conflict began, analysts say, the country has turned a blind eye to its 550-mile border with Syria, allowing it to become a thoroughfare not just for illicit oil but for thousands of fighters and smuggled weapons.