President Erdogan denies buying oil from Islamic State

“Let those who accuse us of buying oil from the IS prove it”, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on November 26, Hurriyet Daily News reported.

Russian Federation threatened economic retaliation against Turkey on Thursday and said it was still awaiting a reasonable explanation for the shooting down of its warplane, but Turkey dismissed the threats as “emotional” and “unfitting”.

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu revealed that he personally gave the order to down the Russian Su-24 fighter jet that lead to the death of one pilot, reports ThinkPol.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov cancelled a scheduled visit to Turkey, while Putin called for Russians not to visit the country.

“Daesh sells the oil they drill to (Syrian President Bashar) al-Assad”.

In particular, the measures could hit two major projects – a gas pipeline and a nuclear power plant – set to raise concerns in energy-poor Turkey whose biggest oil and gas supplier is Russian Federation.

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Friday sought to ease tensions with Moscow over the downing of a Russian warplane over Syria, and said the world must unite to defeat the Islamic State group.

But Erdogan denied Ankara was collaborating with IS.

“Those who carry out a military campaign with the pretext of fighting Daesh are targeting anti-regime opponents”, Erdogan said. But he also said Turkey must protect the sovereign territory.

IS extremists have severely damaged Islam and the Muslims, he said, but added there was no difference between “an organisation s terror and state terror”, referring to the Assad regime.

The new government was announced hours after Turkey shot down a Russian plane it said violated its airspace during operations in Syria and ignored repeated warnings. “We are saddened by this”.

“If the same incursion happens today, Turkey will be obliged to retaliate”, Erdogan said. The downing of the Russian jet was an “automatic reaction” in line with the standing rules of engagement on the Syrian border. “Collective action that harnesses the varying strengths of the USA, the EU, Russia, Turkey and others can, and will, turn the tide”.