Russia: Turkey’s Erdoğan is in the oil business with ISIS

Russia’s defence ministry said it had proof that Erdogan and his family were benefiting from the illegal smuggling of oil from Islamic State-held territory in Syria and Iraq.

The defense ministry officials showed the journalists what they said were satellite images depicting thousands of trucks carrying oil from IS-occupied areas in Syria and Iraq into Turkey. “We’re their North Atlantic Treaty Organisation ally and a trusted partner”, he said.

Anatoly Antonov, Russia’s deputy defence minister, said: “Turkey is the main consumer of the oil stolen from its rightful owners, Syria and Iraq. According to available information, this illegal business includes the upper political leadership of the country, President Erdogan and his family”, Antonov added. “What a marvelous family business!”

Obama said the U.S.is working with Turkey on how to do a better job to seal Turkey’s northern border through which Islamic State fighters cross with relative impunity, and IS oil, sold to finance its terrorist activities, is exported to other countries.

Speaking at a Qatar University ceremony where he received an Honorary Ph.D.in Doha, Recep Tayyip Erdogan described the allegations about Turkey buying oil from Daesh as “slander”. Over the past few days, Erdogan has denied the allegations, called on Russian Federation to provide evidence and vowed to resign if the allegations were proven.

“Turkey has not lost its moral values; we’re not buying oil from a terrorist organisation”, he said. Otherwise Russia has provided no evidence of its accusations, though Turkish officials said they are attempting to reduce oil smuggling.

But hopes of de-escalation suffered a setback when Russian Federation officially announced a list of sanctions to be imposed on Turkey.

“All the colleagues listened very attentively and a lot of them at least share the opinion that there had been no need to attack the unprotected Russian bomber, which was of no threat to Turkey”.

“Instead of launching a prolonged investigation into this issue, the obvious for all must be done – the Turkish-Syrian border must be sealed”, Lavrov said at a joint news conference with Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dačić in Belgrade.

Ties between Moscow and Ankara worsened drastically after Turkey downed last week a Russian Su-24 jet for alleged violation of Turkish air space.

Russia’s entry into the war in Syria has changed the balance on the ground, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said in an interview on Czech Television, and he predicted that support from his main worldwide ally would remain strong.