KABUL: (Middle East Press) Russian President Vladimir Putin says he has received further information confirming that oil from deposits controlled by Islamic State is moved via Turkey on an industrial scale.
Moscow has grounds to suspect that the Su-24 was downed by Turkish jets on November 24 to secure illegal oil deliveries from Syria to Turkey, Putin said speaking on the sidelines of the climate change summit in Paris on Monday.
“At the moment we have received additional information confirming that that oil from the deposits controlled by Islamic State militants enters Turkish territory on industrial scale,” he said.
“We have every reason to believe that the decision to down our plane was guided by a desire to ensure security of this oil’s delivery routes to ports where they are shipped in tankers,” he added.
Meanwhile, speaking in Paris on Monday, President Recep Erdogan said that he will leave office if there is proof of Turkey’s cooperation with ISIS.
“We are not that dishonest to buy oil from terrorists. If it is proven that we have in fact done so I will leave office. If there is any evidence, let them present it, we’ll consider [it],” he said.
The countries from which Turkey buys oil are “well known,” said Erdogan.
On Sunday, Iraqi MP Mowaffak al-Rubaie noted that Daesh has made over $800 million dollars in black market oil sales in Turkey over the last eight months.
