Russia Accuses Erdogan Of IS Oil Trade

Russian Federation went on the offensive during a Defense Ministry media briefing Wednesday alleging that top Turkish leaders, including the president, are involved in illegal oil trade tied to the Islamic State group, RFE/RL reported.

The Russian Defense Ministry officials said they knew of three routes by which ISIS oil reaches Turkey, showing satellite images that allegedly showed oil tankers traveling from Syria into Turkey. “According to our data, the political leadership of the country [Turkey], including President Erdogan and his family, is involved in this criminal business”.

The briefing did not actually provide hard evidence linking Erdoğan to the illegal oil trade, but Antonov insinuated that the connection involves his son, Bilal Erdoğan, an executive with a shipping company, and his son-in-law, Berat Albayrak, the country’s energy minister. “What a marvelous family business!”, Deputy Defence Minister Antonov added.

Relations between Turkey and Russia have fallen to a low point since Turkey shot down a Russian jet that it claimed had encroached into Turkish airspace.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has already accused Ankara of downing the plane on its Syrian border to protect oil supply lines.

Antonov offered no evidence of involvement by Erdogan or any of his family members in oil trade with IS.

Assad said militant groups would get full amnesty if they are ready to lay down arms but added that this was not an option that jihadist groups like Islamic State or al Qaeda’s Syria wing Nusra Front were likely to take. If they do I would not remain on the presidential seat for one minute.

“Turkish borders are open to the ISIL and other terrorists to commute between Syria and Turkey”, Farouq Loqoqlou said.

Ankara claims the plane was in its airspace and ignored repeated warnings but Moscow insists it never crossed the border from Syria.

North Atlantic Treaty Organisation allies have feared some sort of confrontation with Russian Federation since Moscow started launching airstrikes against militant targets in Syria in September.

The US-led coalition is not bombing ISIL oil trucks, Rudskoy said.

The head of the National Center for Control of Defense, Mikhail Mizintsev, said that the Defense Ministry of Russian Federation would unveil more information next week about the volumes of arms sales and terrorist training on the territory of Turkey, TASS reports.

However, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also said on Wednesday that he would not refuse an invitation to meet his Turkish counterpart in Belgrade later this week.