US Says no Evidence Shows Turkey Involved in Islamic State Oil Smuggling

“According to available information, this illegal business includes the upper political leadership of the country, President Erdogan and his family”, Antonov added.

Speaking at a university in Qatar’s capital Doha, Mr Erdogan said he did not want relations with Moscow to get worse.

Footage was also sent out by the Kremlin that purported to show a flow of lorries crossing the Turkey-Syria border with no restrictions at the Reyhanli checkpoint.

Erdogan had previously called Russia’s allegation “slander” and offered to resign if there was any evidence of oil smuggling into Turkey.

He 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.

The border between Turkey and Syria must be sealed to stop illicit oil trade carried out by Daesh terrorists in Syria, but Ankara needs worldwide help to accomplish this task, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday. If they do I would not remain on the presidential seat for one minute. “But those who make the claim must also give up their seat if they can’t prove it”.

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

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

“If those reactions continue, of course, we will have to take measures”.

The Erdogan government has said Putin’s accusation amounted to slander.

“Turkey in this regard retains its nobility”.

“We will use whatever diplomatic language worldwide diplomacy requires”. “Our goal and the goal that we urge you for, ladies and gentlemen, is to block sources of terrorist funding in a joint effort”, Antonov said.

“Every country, every nation no matter what power [they] have, should respect the other nation, should not play with its honor”, Erdogan said. “Reciprocity is something that must be done within the limits of the law”, he added.

However, he says, Russian Federation presented no evidence that Erdogan and his family were involved in such trade.

“He [Putin] has [said] many words about me as an honest head of state”, Erdogan said. Russian Federation has said the plane was over Syrian airspace, en route to attack ISIS targets.

“We will meet with the Turkish minister of foreign affairs, we will hear what he has to say”, Lavrov said after talks with his Cypriot counterpart in Nicosia.

While the Russians have yet to confirm the meeting, they have not rejected it outright.